LOUISIANA (WZTV) — As Tropical Storm Edouard affects parts of the Gulf Coast, the storm is also putting a spotlight on a question Louisiana may face in the coming years: How does severe weather affect a coastal rocket launch site?

SpaceX has announced plans for Starbase Louisiana, a proposed launch facility in Vermilion Parish. Louisiana Economic Development says construction is expected to begin in 2027, with a first launch targeted as early as 2029.

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The project is not yet operating, meaning Edouard is not disrupting any launches or SpaceX facilities in Louisiana. But its planned Gulf Coast location places it in a region where tropical storms and hurricanes can bring strong wind, heavy rain, flooding, storm surge and coastal erosion.

The National Weather Service said Edouard was expected to bring tropical-storm conditions and heavy rain to parts of the upper Texas and southwest Louisiana coasts.

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Louisiana Economic Development says SpaceX plans to invest $100 billion in the project. At full buildout, the state says the site could include five launch complexes with two pads each, as well as propellant production, power generation, vehicle processing and housing.

Coastal locations are useful for launches. NASA says Florida’s east coast allowed rockets to travel east over the Atlantic Ocean, away from heavily populated areas, while the state’s location closer to the equator helps launches take advantage of Earth’s rotation.

But those benefits come with weather risks.

At Kennedy Space Center in Florida, NASA has repeatedly adjusted launch operations because of tropical systems. Ahead of Hurricane Ian in 2022, NASA rolled its Artemis I rocket and Orion spacecraft back from the launch pad to the Vehicle Assembly Building, citing the possibility of lightning, damaging winds and debris.

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Later that year, NASA delayed Artemis I because of Tropical Storm Nicole. The agency secured the rocket and spacecraft at the pad, released nonessential staff and planned post-storm inspections before returning to launch preparations.

Tropical weather can also affect the facilities themselves. After Hurricane Matthew passed near Florida’s Space Coast in 2016, NASA reported 86 mph winds near Launch Pad 39B. A damage survey found roof panels blown from several buildings, water intrusion and beach erosion near launch pads.

Those examples do not predict how a future Louisiana spaceport would perform during a storm. Each launch site has different engineering, construction standards, geography and emergency plans.

Louisiana Economic Development said SpaceX has engaged state agencies, including the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries and the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority, as it prepares for the project.

As SpaceX’s Louisiana plans move forward, tropical-weather preparation is likely to be one of the key questions for a project designed to operate along the Gulf Coast.