
SpaceX indicates it will manufacture the BFR rocket in Los Angeles - rbanffy
https://arstechnica.com/science/2018/03/spacex-indicates-it-will-manufacture-the-bfr-rocket-in-los-angeles/
======
headcanon
I'm sure they have their reasons, but it seems a bit odd to do it there
instead of in Brownsville TX, where they already have facilities, and its on
the same side of the continent as Florida, meaning they don't have to ship
them across the Panama Canal.

Its possible that their rocket-building expertise resides in LA and they want
to keep it close to home, and shipping the rockets isn't as much a concern.

~~~
stetrain
As I understand it basically all of their existing engineering staff works at
their Hawthorn, CA complex, so this is the closest location to that which will
allow them to ship by water.

So far their prototype giant carbon fiber tanks have been manufactured at a
partner's facility in Washington state so this should allow them to receive
those shipments pretty easily.

[https://www.goskagit.com/news/local_news/spacex-fuel-tank-
le...](https://www.goskagit.com/news/local_news/spacex-fuel-tank-leaves-
anacortes-for-testing/article_6434b83f-3e5a-5f34-bc2b-3a797303e8f1.html)

~~~
simonh
For now yes, but it looks like SpaceX are considering doing at least some
manufacturing in Texas in the long run.

[https://www.teslarati.com/spacex-mars-rocket-factory-
south-t...](https://www.teslarati.com/spacex-mars-rocket-factory-south-texas-
coast/)

~~~
stetrain
Yep, I think it makes sense to do initial development close to their main
engineering workforce, but later final assembly and refurbishment could happen
closer to the launch sites.

------
11thEarlOfMar
I'm wondering what this does for the LA economy. If SpaceX is successful in
it's multiple missions, both Mars and global Internet, it would create many
high-paying jobs and begin to restore the losses from aerospace [0].

[0] See slides 6 & 7: [https://laedc.org/wp-
content/uploads/2012/04/KimberlyRitterM...](https://laedc.org/wp-
content/uploads/2012/04/KimberlyRitterMartinez_LAEDC.pdf)

~~~
bhauer
Well, certainly SpaceX has done a lot for the city I call home, Hawthorne. It
makes me happy when I hear their mission control cited as "Hawthorne Control."

We also now have the Boring Company test tunnel going in under 120th Street.
Some of the people I work with joke about the tunnel cutting their commute
from Hawthorne to El Segundo from 5 minutes to 2 minutes. (Of course this
tunnel is just for testing, but it's still fun to joke about.)

------
ufmace
Source for this seems to be this reddit post:
[https://www.reddit.com/r/spacex/comments/85i6rd/bfr_producti...](https://www.reddit.com/r/spacex/comments/85i6rd/bfr_production_moves_to_los_angeles_harbor/)

