California’s spending is out of this world — just ask NASA

California’s overspending crisis has been brought into sharper focus after NASA revealed the cost of building a base on the moon.

The space agency unveiled sweeping plans to create a permanent hub near the lunar south pole, complete with habitats, pressurized rovers and nuclear power systems.

The goal is long-term human presence, with the seven-year project costing around $20 billion.

NASA administrator Jared Isaacman said: “This time, the goal is not flags and footprints. This time, the goal is to stay.”

The news has led to a slew of criticism of California, with the state being widely mocked for its insane spending on far simpler designs.

Many pointed to the under-fire, high-speed rail project, which has so far ballooned to a $135 billion estimated cost and a much-delayed timeline.

“Why does it cost less to build a base on the moon than high-speed rail from sf to la” one user asked on X.

“Simple. No regulations on the moon. No NIMBYs. No environmental impact studies. No lawyers,” added Adam Rossi, another California resident.

Even Silicon Valley executives have taken aim.

Palantir CTO Shyam Sankar wrote last year, “For $10 billion, Elon Musk put 300 rockets in orbit. For $11 billion, the state of California has built 1,600 feet of elevated rail — with no rail.”

Tech investor Marc Andreessen also piled on.

Earlier this year, Newsom said the Los Angeles to San Francisco line was “back on track” during his State of the State address, pointing to construction progress in the Central Valley.

“Speaking of tracks, we’re finally laying them,” he said, citing more than 60 miles of guideway completed, dozens of major structures, and thousands of parcels acquired.

Newsom has framed the project as a long-term investment that would cut travel times, reduce emissions and boost economic growth in inland regions like Fresno, Madera and Bakersfield.

But nearly two decades after voters approved a $10 billion bond in 2008, the project has yet to connect Los Angeles to San Francisco — or either city at all.

Costs have surged to more than $135 billion, making it the most expensive rail project in US history.

The original 2020 completion date has long passed, and the current timeline only targets a partial Central Valley segment between Bakersfield and Merced sometime in the 2030s.

“It’s not physics vs engineering, it’s incentives vs bureaucracy,” an X user wrote. “Space projects have clear goals, fewer stakeholders, and faster decisions. High-speed rail has endless approvals, lawsuits, and politics.”

“Because the moon is not in California,” another user joked.

The California High-Speed Rail Authority says rising costs are driven by inflation, land acquisition, environmental requirements, and maintains the system will eventually link major population centers while reducing congestion and emissions.

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