(The Center Square) – Gov. Jeff Landry’s former chief of staff, Kyle Ruckert, has registered as a lobbyist for SpaceX, the aerospace giant preparing to build a $100 billion rocket launch facility in coastal Louisiana with the help of billions of dollars in state and local tax incentives.

Ruckert served as Landry’s chief of staff until February 2026, when he left the administration to become chairman of Protect Louisiana Values, a politically influential nonprofit closely aligned with the governor.

Ruckert’s pay category is listed as $100,000 – $249,000. Ruckert could not be reached for comment.

Protect Louisiana Values has played a prominent role in advancing Landry’s legislative agenda, including directing approximately $1 million toward campaigns supporting constitutional amendments during the May 2026 election. Landry personally championed Amendments 3 and 4, both of which voters rejected.

Ruckert’s new lobbying role comes just two months after Landry announced a landmark agreement with SpaceX to construct what the company says will become the world’s largest spaceport on approximately 125,000 acres near Pecan Island in Vermilion Parish.

The project, dubbed Starbase Louisiana, is expected to create 3,000 direct jobs over the next decade, with an average annual salary of $92,600. Construction is expected to begin in 2027, with the first rocket launch targeted for 2029.

Already, the project is the target of a lawsuit, as recently reported by the Times-Picayune. The lawsuit alleges that the Vermilion Parish Industrial Development Board violated Louisiana open meetings laws while approving the company’s package of tax incentives.

Louisiana officials negotiated an incentive package for Space X valued at an estimated $27.5 billion, including roughly $24 billion in property tax exemptions over 25 years. The agreement also provides for other state tax incentives and economic development assistance.