News
Astroport’s Role in Artemis II: Kathryn Bolish Highlights the Future of Lunar Infrastructure
4-1-2026 In a Spectrum News interview, Kathryn Bolish discussed how Astroport contributes to NASA’s Artemis II mission not through direct spacecraft systems, but by helping develop the infrastructure needed for long-term human presence on the Moon. She explained that...
Reaching for the Cosmos: Siddi Raut Helps Chart Humankind’s Future in Space
3-25-2026 From exploring caves in Texas to conducting research at a national laboratory, Siddhi Raut's journey into space science began in her hometown of San Antonio as a middle school student. As part of the first cohort of the WEX Foundation's Lunar Caves Analog...
The Space Show Presents Kathryn Bolish f the WEX Foundation on Mathematics for Space, Amazing K-12 Programming for Lunar Habitats and More
11-22-2025 In this episode of The Space Show, host Dr. David Livingston and co-host John Jossy welcome Kathryn Bolish of the WEX Foundation to discuss innovative K-12 STEM education focused on lunar exploration. Kathryn, a mathematician pursuing her PhD at UTSA,...
Space Rocks, How Sam Ximenes is Building the Future, One Moon Brick at a Time
10-28-2025 Sam Ximenes, a San Antonio native and one of only a few people in the world to earn the title of Space Architect, is building the future of lunar construction while inspiring the next generation of space explorers. After a winding creative career that...
NWAY NASA Grant at University of Texas Permian Basin
"The University of Texas Permian Basin has been awarded funding as part of the New Worlds Await You-II (NWAY-II) grant, a NASA-supported initiative aimed at engaging students in space-related STEM education. The grant, awarded in March 2024, is managed by the WEX...
Are We Alone? WEX Graduate Talks Life Among the Stars and More With Top Expert
SAN ANTONIO, TX — Our talented friend Siddhi Raut, whose quest for knowledge of all things space-related was enriched as a participant in the WEX Foundation's Lunar Caves Analog Test Sites (LCATS) program beginning in middle school, continues to make big strides as...
In partnership with UTSA and UTeachSA, WEX Foundation awarded $800K NASA grant for unique space education program
Starting this fall, San Antonio middle school students will have a unique opportunity to design, build and test lunar lava tube habitat models made in afterschool programs with recyclable materials and simple supplies. These students are part of a new four-year...
UT Permian Basin, YWLA, and Boys & Girls Club Partner with WEX Foundation to Launch NASA Grant for Space Education Initiative
5-14-2024 The University of Texas Permian Basin (UTPB), the Young Women's Leadership Academy (YWLA) of Midland, and the Boys & Girls Club of the Permian Basin have partnered with the WEX Foundation on an $800,000 NASA grant to launch a space education initiative...
WEX Foundation Participates in DreamWeek 2024 at Port San Antonio
02-02-2024 The WEX Foundation and its LCATS program were proud to participate in DreamWeek San Antonio 2024, a city-wide initiative dedicated to fostering dialogue, innovation, and community engagement across San Antonio. Hosted annually in alignment with the legacy...
2024 NASA TEAM II Award for New Worlds Await You – Next Generation Promotes STEM in San Antonio
NASA’s vision for TEAM II is to enhance the capability of informal education institutions to host NASA-based learning activities while increasing the institutions’ capacity to bring NASA resources to students. The agency has selected four institutions to receive...
A BIG BOOST FOR INNOVATIVE SPACE-FOCUSED STEM LEARNING – LCATS PROGRAM
SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS — One of the nation's innovative STEM/STEAM programs based on a hands-on space science curriculum will further its reach by welcoming a new cohort of 35 students from across San Antonio beginning next fall. The Lunar Caves Analog Test Sites...
2023 LCATS COHORT – WHAT IS LCATS?
The Lunar Caves Analog Test Sites program, called LCATS, builds on the discovery of underground pits on the moon in 2009 — 500-feet-wide holes on the surface of the moon — allowing students to explore the science behind the possibilities of using them as shelters for...
WEX Foundation holds graduation for students in San Antonio’s first StellarXplorers Space Camp!
Hosted by The WEX Foundation in partnership with the Air and Space Forces Association, 30 students from San Antonio's first StellarXplorers Space Camp officially graduated from the program. The ceremony was held at Project Cowork on Morocco Street. The graduating...
Lunar Exploration STEM Program Looking for San Antonio Students
8-14-2023 A free, three-year STEM program is seeking 30 San Antonio middle and high school students to design and build devices for exploring lunar caves. The Lunar Caves Analog Test Sites (LCATS) program, run by the nonprofit WEX Foundation, launches its new cohort...
2022 Lunar Habitat Design Competition Award Ceremony
On May 14th, 2022, the 8 finalists of the New Worlds Await You Lunar Lava Tube Habitat Design Competition presented their final products to their judges, watched insightful videos from exhibitors, heard from guest speaker Ginger Barnes, and won placement awards! We...
New Worlds Await You – 8 Teams Advancing to Finals !
New Worlds Await You is proud to announce the Top 8 teams who have advanced to the Final Round of Competition. All NWAY teams have been working hard this semester to design and build a 3D model of a Lunar Habitat within a Lunar Lava Tube. These creative middle school...
To Plan Future Habitats on the Moon, San Antonio Students go Beneath the Earth’s Surface
4-23-2022 Students from across San Antonio are helping NASA prepare for future lunar habitats by exploring a cave system right here in Texas. In late March 2025, more than two dozen students entered the "Cave Without a Name" near Boerne, bringing robot rovers they...
LCATS Students Live Q&A with ISS Crew
Real-time Q&A session between the LCATS Students and the International Space Station (ISS) Crew reinforces to our young minds that their future as next-generation innovators in space technology is well within their reach! On July 28, over 100 students and their...
San Antonio is one of six finalist communities to host the headquarters for U.S. Space Command – WEX Involvement
WEX Foundation mentioned in Military Times as a community innovator for why San Antonio should host the headquarters for U.S. Space Command. "Port San Antonio is itself a recognized innovation center. Recent successes include Plus One Robotics (which has received...
WEX Foundation promotes national STEM learning program
WEX Foundation is pleased to announce finalization of a new grant award received from NASA valued at $750K. The "New Worlds Await You - National STEM Challenges for Student Space Exploration" STEM engagement program targets at-risk middle school students in urban and...
By helping to fund our programs for motivated Middle and High School students with an interest in exploring space, you advance 21st century careers for underrepresented minorities, female, and economically disadvantaged students.