June 15, 2026 — Southwest Research Institute (SwRI®), Astroport Space Technologies Inc. and the WEX Foundation have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) for the proposed establishment of an independent National Lunar Research Center (NLRC) initiative. The focus of the collaboration is to accelerate the research and development efforts needed to advance lunar surface infrastructure technologies, demonstrate assisted and autonomous lunar construction capabilities and prepare a specialized workforce to fulfill NASA’s Ignition and Moon-to-Mars objectives.
The proposed initiative will leverage approximately 180 acres of SwRI-owned property adjacent to its main campus in San Antonio. The site will be used to simulate the geography of the Moon’s de Gerlache Ridge as well as the footprint of NASA’s Artemis Moon Base. The NLRC will complement other small- and mid-scale facilities to provide a comprehensive ecosystem for research, development, testing and evaluation of Artemis Moon Base systems.
“SwRI is committed to solving the most difficult technical challenges in space exploration,” said Adam L. Hamilton, P.E., president and CEO of SwRI. “The NLRC will provide a full-scale analog site that can be used to prepare for construction and operation of the Artemis Moon Base.”
The NLRC will provide NASA, industry and academic collaborators with a research and development venue to help test concepts, mitigate risks, optimize site configurations, evaluate deployment processes and assess routine operations in a high-fidelity lunar analog environment.
“Our lunar civil engineering work for NASA has established a clear engineering baseline for construction on the Moon,” said Sam Ximenes, founder and CEO of Astroport Space Technologies. “The NLRC will provide the infrastructure needed to rehearse these complex operations at scale, validating site preparation and infrastructure tools on Earth for safety and endurance before they are committed to a lunar manifest.”
The initiative leverages the unique local resources available to launch the next generation of space occupation and exploration programs.
“The NLRC will represent a turning point in how we prepare humans for a sustained presence on the Moon and beyond,” said Louise Cantwell, executive director of the WEX Foundation. “The space industry needs welders electricians, and all manner of skilled workers. By integrating physical infrastructure testing at the NLRC site with skilled space technology training and certification, the Artemis generation will be prepared to build and scale the national space economy.”
For more information, visit Planetary Science or contact Deb Schmid, +1 210 522 2254, Communications Department, Southwest Research Institute, 6220 Culebra Road, San Antonio, TX 78238-5166.