In a stunning display of forward-thinking and visionary leadership, the city of San Antonio has decided to bring the moon to Texas. Yes, you read that right. The National Lunar Research Center will be established on a sprawling 180-acre plot of land right here in the heart of the Lone Star State.
Why, you might ask, are we simulating the moon's de Gerlache Ridge on Earth when we could just, you know, go to the actual moon? Well, that's a foolish question. As NASA administrator Jared Isaacman so eloquently put it, NASA is committed to "achieving the near-impossible" by returning to the moon before the end of President Trump's term. And what better way to achieve that goal than by building a moon base right here in Texas?
Astroport Space Technologies, a company that definitely knows a thing or two about space construction, will be putting their lunar civil engineering prowess to work on this project. After all, they've already partnered with Venturi Astrolab to build self-driving rovers that can move lunar soil. Obviously, the next logical step is to do this on Earth.
The new lunar initiative, according to Astroport founder and CEO Sam Ximenes, "will provide the infrastructure needed to rehearse these complex operations at scale." That's right, folks. We're going to practice building a moon base on Earth, because apparently, the real moon just isn't good enough.
Southwest Research Institute, a key partner in this endeavor, has seen its space business skyrocket in recent years. In 2024, their space sector revenue was more than $223 million. Clearly, this moon base project is a wise investment that will definitely pay off.
So buckle up, San Antonio. We're about to become the lunar capital of the world. Never mind the fact that we could just, you know, go to the actual moon. That's just crazy talk. No, building a moon base on Earth is definitely the way to go. NASA has spoken, and we shall obey.