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Project Moon Base: Central Florida's role in building a colony on the Moon

The Brief UCF scientists created a simulated moon soil to test rovers and prepare for lunar mining and construction. Future moon colonies could mine ice for rocket fuel and Helium-3 for clean energy and quantum computing. A Tampa-based company has already placed a data server on the moon as part of an expanding off-world tech frontier. Much of the groundwork for a permanent lunar colony is happening in Central Florida. At the University of Central Florida's Exolith Lab, Dr. Phil Metzger and other university researchers have developed a realistic simulant of moon soil using minerals sourced from across North America. "They started buying it in bulk, tons at a time, shipped here in gigantic one-ton bags," Metzger said. With 150 tons of this lunar simulant, scientists test: Robotic rovers Wheel traction Moon-based construction techniques The goal: to support future human colonies, robotic mining systems, and infrastructure on the moon. When the Apollo missions ended, the potential of the moon was still unknown. But recent space probes revealed a critical discovery—water ice beneath the surface, especially near the south lunar pole. Dr. Metzger explained the origin of this bounty with a cosmic backstory: "Theia collided with the Earth… and the sum of Theia combined with the Earth and sank down inside." This ancient impact helped create the Moon—and left behind valuable resources. Key resources scientists hope to extract: Water ice: To be split into hydrogen and oxygen for rocket fuel. Helium-3: A rare isotope potentially critical for quantum computing and clean fusion energy. Minerals: For construction and industrial use. "On the moon, an ounce of water has the same value as an ounce of gold," Metzger noted. Moon-based mining could make space missions far more efficient. By extracting and converting ice into fuel on-site, spacecraft could launch from the moon using steam bursts instead of expensive Earth-based rockets. Benefits of moon-launched missions: Cheaper crewed missions to Mars and beyond Lunar orbiting communication satellites Earth-facing satellites launched down from the moon As technology advances, these systems could dramatically lower the cost of: Spaceflight Internet and satellite data services Global communications "It makes the data communication satellites cheaper so that data services on Earth become cheaper," said Metzger. With AI and data demands surging, our power grids are under pressure. Metzger and other researchers envision space-based solar stations that convert sunlight into microwaves and beam clean energy back to Earth—at a fraction of today's energy cost. "There are billions of times more energy leaving the sun… than the little, tiny bit of it that lands on Earth," Metzger said. These power stations could also fuel off-world data centers, a solution to the growing environmental impact of AI. Local perspective One company already making lunar tech a reality is Lonestar Lunar, headquartered in the Tampa Bay area. In March 2025, Lonestar placed the first data server on the moon, delivered by Intuitive Machines' lunar lander. Metzger says this is just the beginning. With launch costs decreasing and environmental pressures increasing, off-planet computing is on the horizon. "There are at least five companies working to develop data servers in space," he said. RELATED: Mars: Dust Fountains and the Future of Space Colonization Mining Helium-3 is a longer-term objective, but one with major implications for quantum computing, which demands ultra-cold environments cooled by liquid helium. "There are at least two companies planning to do mining of helium on the moon," Metzger said. "That might be the killer application in the near term." He believes once quantum computing matures, it could unlock new frontiers in biology, medicine, and space exploration. What's next The next chapter in Breakthroughs in Science will highlight how this research translates into real-world applications. Watch Thursday at 10 p.m. to see: How UCF's Exolith Lab is building lunar landing pads How scientists are making bricks for moon bases The engineering of robotic mining colonies CLICK HERE:>>>Follow FOX 13 on YouTube The Source This report is based on interviews with Dr. Phil Metzger, UCF planetary scientist, along with research conducted at UCF's Exolith Lab. Supporting details come from published lunar exploration data, NASA findings, and statements by private aerospace companies such as Lonestar Lunar.