— Move over Houston... another U.S. town has declared itself "Space City" and has a new roadside attraction to support its claim.

The City of Weatherford, Oklahoma on Thursday (Aug. 22) held a ribbon cutting ceremony for its 30-foot-tall (9-meter) astronaut. The spacesuit-clad statue has a painted moonscape as the reflection in its helmet's visor, but it actually overlooks an iconic roadway celebrating its 100th year in 2026.

"It's connecting the dots for all of these Route 66 travelers," said Oklahoma's Lt. Governor Matt Pinnell, who helped dedicate the statue, in an interview with KFOR, the local NBC News affiliate.

The Oklahoma Department of Commerce provided Weatherford with $1 million from its Route 66 Commission to fund the creation of the astronaut and related "Space City" road signs. The town hosts Oklahoma's largest stretch of Route 66, one of the United States' first and most famous highways.

"What an incredible day in Weatherford!" local officials wrote in a social media post on Friday. "The City of Weatherford, the Weatherford Chamber of Commerce and our community came together to celebrate the ribbon cutting for the Weatherford Route 66 Project! This project is another exciting step toward growing and showcasing our amazing community."

Since 1993, Weatherford has been home to the Stafford Air and Space Museum, a Smithsonian affiliate that was named after the late NASA astronaut and Oklahoma native Thomas Stafford. The 63,000-square-foot (5,900-square-meter) museum chronicles aviation and space exploration history with a special focus on the contributions made by its namesake.

The museum displays Stafford's Gemini 6 spacecraft and is the only place in the world you can see test-fired engines from both the U.S. Saturn V and former Soviet Union's N-1 moon rockets.

"As the Space City of Route 66, this larger-than-life tribute to ambition, exploration and innovation is the perfect addition to our community," the Stafford museum's staff said in a statement. "The vision behind this project aligns beautifully with our mission — to inspire future generations to reach for the stars."

"This statue isn't just a landmark," the museum's post continued, "it's a bold statement that Weatherford, Oklahoma, is a place where history, adventure and discovery collide!"

The fiberglass astronaut, which stands at the corner of Broadway and Main at McPhetridge Centennial Park, is not directly modeled after Stafford. Its spacesuit loosely resembles the garments that he wore into Earth orbit and to fly around the moon, as well as meet up with Soviet cosmonauts in space. The statue displays both a NASA insignia and the road sign logo for Route 66.

"This exceeded my expectations. I mean, it's really a showstopper," Pinnell said.

The hope, according to Weatherford Mayor Mike Brown, is that the statue will provide another reason for tourists to come visit, eat at local restaurants and stay the night. In addition to the astronaut, Weatherford is also installing new light-up Route 66 road makers that highlight it being "Space City" on Route 66.

Pinnell recently called for Oklahoma to expand its investment in aerospace, which currently ranks second among the state's industries.

"Oklahoma with the right vision, investment, and leadership is uniquely positioned to be a global leader in this space-driven future," wrote the lieutenant governor. "A thriving space industry in Oklahoma will inspire students to pursue STEM careers, keep top talent in-state, and open doors for future generations to explore the final frontier not from afar, but from their own backyard."