LONG BEACH, Calif. — Long Beach is turning into "Space Beach."

Space Exploration Technologies Corp., more commonly known as SpaceX, will occupy and begin using the Port of Long Beach, said Long Beach Mayor Robert Garcia on social media Monday afternoon.

SpaceX is the latest aerospace company to have a presence in Long Beach, which is becoming a hub for the aerospace industry.

What You Need To Know

  • Elon Musk's SpaceX is coming to Long Beach

  • On Monday, the Long Beach Board of Harbor Commissioners approved an agreement with SpaceX for the company to use Pier T in the Long Beach Port

  • SpaceX will use the waterfront location for rocket recovery operations, dock vessels and offload equipment

  • SpaceX is the latest aerospace company to have a presence in Long Beach. With more than 24 aerospace companies located in the city, the mayor calls the city "Space Beach"

“This is great news for our aerospace industry and for the residents of Long Beach,” Garcia wrote on Twitter. “With this addition, Long Beach is firmly the largest space and technology economy on the west coast, and there is still so much room to grow.”

The news comes a week after NASA awarded SpaceX a $2.89 billion contract to send astronauts to the moon.

On Monday, the Long Beach Board of Harbor Commissioners approved a sublease agreement with SpaceX to occupy 6.5 acres at the Long Beach Port’s Pier T wharf. SpaceX will take over the space left vacant by Sea Launch, which left more than a year ago.

SpaceX will use the waterfront location as a marine terminal for its West Coast rocket recovery operations, dock vessels and offload equipment, Port of Long Beach officials said in a news release.

According to the Long Beach Post, SpaceX will pay $107,000 a month to use the facility.

“We’re extremely pleased to reach an agreement that will bring Space Exploration Technologies Corp. to the Port of Long Beach,” said Long Beach Harbor Commission President Frank Colonna. “This pact will benefit both parties. We welcome SpaceX to the Port family.”

SpaceX did not return a Spectrum News 1 request for comment as of press time.

“This is a good fit for the Port, as we offer the industry-leading facilities and services that are perfectly suited to SpaceX’s mission,” said Mario Cordero, executive director of the Port of Long Beach. “I would like to commend our Port team, especially our Real Estate division, for developing this agreement with SpaceX.”

Founded in 2002 by billionaire Elon Musk and headquartered in Hawthorne, SpaceX specializes in putting satellites in orbit, rocket manufacturing, space cargo delivery and developing a way to bring ordinary people to tour the moon.

SpaceX is the latest aerospace company to have a presence in Long Beach.

With more than 24 companies in the aerospace industry, including Boeing, Virgin Orbit, Rocket Lab, Spin Launch and Relativity Space, Mayor Garcia calls the city "Space Beach."

“Long Beach aerospace companies account for over 6,500 direct jobs within city limits,” Garcia said. “In just the past few years alone, these amazing companies have made our city their home.”