WACO, Texas (AP) — Waco city officials have voted to contribute $1.5 million in economic development funds toward expanding the SpaceX rocket-making plant in nearby McGregor.
Hawthorne, Calif.-based Space Exploration Technologies Corp. has plans to spend $46 million on an expansion that would create 300 new full-time jobs.
McLennan County commissioners are to vote later this month on providing an additional $1.5 million in economic development funds.
Since 2003, SpaceX has used land in McGregor’s industrial park for research and rocket testing. The company recently expanded its lease from 922 acres to 4,280 acres.
Owned by billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk, SpaceX has become a major player in private rocketry by hauling supplies to the International Space Station and placing communications satellites in orbit.