San Antonio as NASA's Lunar Construction Hub
San Antonio is positioning itself as NASA's lunar construction hub.
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San Antonio company races to build moon base out of lunar dirt
by Josh Archote
October 11, 2026
6 minute read
October 9, 2026
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Astroport Space Technologies, a San Antonio space construction and materials company, has set its sights on a daring goal: be the first to make a brick on the moon by 2028. This aligns with NASA's Artemis program, which aims to return astronauts to the moon and establish a sustainable presence there.
NASA relies on private companies, universities, and research institutions, many based in San Antonio, to tackle the engineering challenges involved in lunar construction.
At Astroport, located at Port San Antonio, engineers are developing an autonomous rover called Brickbot. This rover will transform moon dirt (lunar regolith) into bricks for building landing pads, habitats, and roads on the lunar surface.
Sam Ximenes, founder and CEO of Astroport, envisions making San Antonio a hub for lunar construction, part of a larger "lunar surface supply chain" from San Antonio to the moon.
NASA's Artemis Missions:
- Planned human landing on the moon in 2028.
- Aiming for a sustainable base at the moon’s South Pole by 2032.
- Ultimately, establishing a framework for Mars colonization by mid-century.
San Antonio Partnerships:
Several San Antonio organizations, including Southwest Research Institute, have been awarded NASA contracts to support these efforts. Southwest Research Institute, in collaboration with Astroport, is building a 180-acre lunar testing yard in San Antonio modeled after the moon base environment.