SpaceX to build new facility in Bastrop after being awarded grant from Gov. Abbott

BASTROP, Texas - A Texas Semiconductor Innovation Fund grant was awarded to SpaceX on Wednesday.

This grant will allow SpaceX to build a facility in Bastrop.

What we know:

Gov. Greg Abbott made the announcement on March 12, giving SpaceX a grant of $17.3 million for an expansion of their semiconductor research and development (R&D) and an advanced packaging facility in Bastrop.

More than 400 jobs will be created and more than $280 million in capital investment is expected from the expansion.

The purpose of the Bastrop facility is to produce Starlink kits and their parts, including advanced packaged silicon products.

The proposed project includes:

• Printed circuit boards (PCBs)
• A semiconductor failure analysis lab
• Advanced packaging for panel level packaging (PLP)

According to the governor, once complete, the Bastrop facility will be the largest PCB and PLP facility in North America.

What we don't know:

A timeline for when the Bastrop facility will open was not immediately announced. 

What they're saying:

"Texas connects the nation and the world with the most advanced technologies manufactured right here in our great state," said Governor Abbott. "I congratulate SpaceX on their more than $280 million investment in this Texas-sized expansion of their semiconductor R&D and advanced packaging facility in Bastrop, which will be the largest of its kind in North America. Working together with innovative industry leaders like SpaceX, Texas will continue to rank No. 1 for semiconductor research and high-tech manufacturing and secure critical domestic supply chains as we build a stronger, more prosperous Texas than ever before."

"Incredible innovation and high-tech manufacturing is happening in Texas as a direct result of Governor Abbott’s leadership and the Texas Semiconductor Innovation Fund initiative," said SpaceX President and Chief Operating Officer Gwynne Shotwell. "We love Texas. SpaceX is investing hundreds of millions of dollars into our Bastrop facility. This grant will help continue to expand Bastrop’s manufacturing for Starlink to help connect even more people across the state and around the world with high-speed, low-latency internet."