San Antonio’s Astroport Takes Giant Leap Towards Moon Missions
In an exciting development for both space enthusiasts and the local economy, San Antonio is making waves in the lunar exploration arena! Astroport Space Technologies, a local space startup that has been turning heads since its launch in 2020, recently announced a partnership with two Colorado-based companies, Orbit Fab and iSpace Technologies U.S., to collaboratively develop technologies aimed at supporting NASA’s upcoming missions to the moon.
Sam Ximenes, the energetic founder and CEO of Astroport, couldn’t contain his enthusiasm while sharing this news. He emphasized that these partnerships are a crucial step forward in their ambitious mission to establish a sustainable human presence on the moon. Imagine the day when lunar soil, or regolith, is being transformed into building materials right from the moon itself!
A Steady Growth Story
Astroport has been on a progressive path, securing NASA grants for three consecutive years! With a dedicated team of 15 talented individuals, the company has established offices not just in San Antonio but also in Midland, Luxembourg, and even Australia. Ximenes gleefully pointed out that the partnership with Orbit Fab marks their first commercial venture in lunar construction services. This could significantly change how we think about lunar landings and could lead to a private landing facility.
In Ximenes’ words, “Our vision has always been to operate the landing pads that we build,” drawing a fascinating comparison to San Antonio’s well-known maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) facilities. He imagines a bustling lunar construction site where autonomous robots are busy using molten lunar soil to create roads and structures, effectively laying the groundwork for future exploration.
Innovative Technologies for the Future
Ximenes elaborated on the exciting technologies Astroport is developing, such as a revolutionary Lunatron furnace-nozzle that turns lunar soil into bricks. The company is also working on a Surveyorbot designed to measure the moon’s soil composition and bedrock depth. Not to overlook the exciting prospect of creating a spacecraft refueling supply chain—a game-changer for any future lunar economy!
The partnership with Orbit Fab, a company specializing in in-space refueling technology, is particularly electrifying. The collaboration aims to develop a more robust lunar infrastructure and prepare some joint demonstration missions of their new technologies. According to Daniel Faber, Orbit Fab’s CEO, this collaboration is key to unlocking all the moon’s opportunities for scientific discovery and economic advancement.
Lunar Landers and Shiny Future
Astroport isn’t stopping with Orbit Fab; they’re partnering with iSpace-U.S., a company known for its lunar landers. This collaboration could eventually see Astroport’s cutting-edge scientific instruments make their way to the surface of the moon! The data collected will help push the boundaries of our understanding of how to build structures on our celestial neighbor.
It’s worth noting that last November, Astroport received a whopping $1.3 million in NASA funding as part of the extensive $93 billion Artemis program. This funding will support their innovative projects and vision of establishing a foothold on the moon, with dreams of eventually sending humans to Mars.
Looking Ahead
Astroport also holds a ticket for a thrilling ride to the moon aboard a SpaceX Starship. Their upcoming project, the FLEX rover, is set to be launched with instruments specifically developed by Astroport, which could further revolutionize lunar exploration. This mission, tentatively slated for mid-2026, reflects the serious commitment from not just Astroport, but the entire San Antonio community to the future of space exploration.
As we look to the stars, we can’t help but be excited for what’s to come. Guided by visionaries like Sam Ximenes and supported by innovative partnerships, San Antonio is undoubtedly paving the way in the race to not only visit but build a sustainable future on the moon!
