During the Space Age, the United States sent astronauts to the lunar surface six times, exploring a tiny fraction of its equatorial regions. Before and since that time, a handful of robotic explorers have expanded these investigations incrementally. Lunar orbiters have mapped the entirety of the lunar surface in the past few decades … yet this closest of Earth’s neighbors remains just out of reach for habitation and exploitation. But this situation is at a crossroads, with the spacefaring powers of Earth, and many private companies in the U.S. and abroad, poised to reach the Moon within the decade. How will we best explore, prospect, and settle our natural satellite? The Moon session at ISDC will bring together some of our finest thinkers to explore the subject in depth.
Moon Symposium
Session Chair Info
Madhu Thangavelu
Dept of Astronautical Engineering, Viterbi School
Madhu Thangavelu conducts the ASTE527 graduate Space Exploration Architectures Concept Synthesis Studio in the Department of Astronautical Engineering within the Viterbi School of Engineering, and he is also a graduate thesis adviser in the School of Architecture at USC. He holds degrees in both engineering and architecture and has contributed extensively to concepts in space architecture, especially dealing with extraterrestrial development. He is the author or co-author of over 70 Read More
Zaheer Ali
Space Paladin, Director of the Space MBA Program, University of Central Florida
Zaheer Ali is a physicist, technologist, and educator working at the intersection of AI, quantum, and space systems. He is Space Paladin, Director of the Space MBA program at the University of Central Florida. In addition, he is a partner at Space Outcomes LLC, NewSpace Finance, and co-founder of Positon Inc., he has held leadership roles at NASA, the U.S. Department of Energy, Hewlett Packard, and multiple startups. He has Read More
Moon Symposium
Session Speakers Info
Caitlin Ahrens
Assistant Research Scientist, NASA GSFC/UMD
Dr. Caitlin Ahrens is an assistant research scientist at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center and the University of Maryland. She is a member of the Diviner Science Team with the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter and the American Society of Civil Engineers Aerospace Division working on lunar architecture and construction. She serves as a technical support scientist to assist in risk assessments of lunar surface activity. Dr. Ahrens is PI on lunar Read More
Stephanie Brick
Founder, Licensed Architect, Salutogenic Design & Consulting Group
Stephanie Brick, RA, WELL AP, LEED GA, MDS, BArch is a licensed architect and leading subject matter expert (SME) on implementing salutogenic and biophilic design in unique spaces, with an expertise in high-stress/highly disconnected facilities. With nearly a decade of civilian service, she blazed the trail in the U.S. Department of War as one of the leading experts in salutogenic design to improve health and well-being in the military and Read More
Nick Kanas
Professor Emeritus (Psychiatry), University of California, San Francisco
Nick Kanas is a Professor Emeritus at the University of California, San Francisco. Since 1969, he has conducted research, taught, and written about psychological and interpersonal issues affecting people working in space. For over 15 years, he was an NSBRI- and NASA-funded Principal Investigator doing psychological research with astronauts and cosmonauts on the Mir and International Space Stations and during several space simulation missions. He received the 1999 Aerospace Medical Read More
William Kemp
CEO, Aethon Space, Inc.
William Kemp is the founder of Aethon Space, Inc., a venture dedicated to engineering the foundational infrastructure of the lunar economy. With expertise in mission-critical facilities, large-scale system coordination, and a focus on the intersection of autonomous robotics and in-situ resource utilization (ISRU), he is the primary architect behind the “Aethon Triad” model for sustainable settlements. Read More
Ajay Kothari
President, Astrox Corp
Dr. Ajay Kothari is President and Founder of Astrox Corporation, an Aerospace R&D company located in suburban Washington DC. His PhD and MS in Aerospace Engineering are from University of Maryland and BSc and Jr MSc in physics from Bombay University. He has been Principal Investigator on more than 30 contracts from DOD, DARPA and NASA, focused on rocket and hypersonic vehicle designs which have led to an innovative hypersonic Read More
Dr. Pascal Lee
Planetary Scientist, Co-founder and Chairman, Mars Institute
Dr. Pascal Lee is a planetary scientist with the SETI Institute, the Mars Institute, and NASA Ames Research Center in Mountain View, California. He is also professor of planetary sciences at Kepler Space University, and chief scientist for Ceres Robotics, a NASA Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) industry provider. He also serves as the National Space Society’s Vice-President for Planetary Development. Dr. Lee holds an M.E. in geology from the Read More
Dr. Claire Nelson
Chief Ideation Leader, Space Futures Forum
Dr. Claire Nelson is the Chief Visionary Officer of The Futures Forum and has been recognized as a Forbes Top 50 Female Futurist. She serves as the Founding Convenor of the Space Futures Forum and curates Space Ungana, which is an international conference dedicated to advancing space research and education in Africa. Dr. Nelson is the founder of the Open Afrika Space Exploration Analog Simulation and a co-founder of the Read More
Ayse Oren
Architect, DesignArt
Ayşe Ören is an architect and space architecture researcher focused on lunar habitats, human-centered design, and in-situ resource utilization systems. She is the creator of the MoonArch project, a modular regolith-based habitat concept for sustainable lunar settlement. Her work explores the integration of engineering constraints with cultural and psychological aspects of long-duration space living. Read More
John Parks
Founder & Ecologist, ExoScientific
John Emory Parks is the Founder and Ecologist of ExoScientific LLC, developing biologically integrated “bioware” systems and closed-loop ecological solutions to enable sustainable human settlement on the Moon and Mars. With more than 30 years of experience in marine science, coral reef ecology, and international development in remote environments, his current work focuses on coral reef propagation as foundational technology for oxygen production, supplemental nutrition, adaptive radiation shielding, and future Read More
Dr. Peter A. Swan
Chief Architect, International Space Elevator Consortium
Peter A. Swan, Ph.D., FAIAA, FBIS, MIAA, is ISEC’s Chief Architect, Past President of the International Space Elevator Consortium, and a Board Member of the Space Elevator Development Corporation. In these roles, he leads teams who further the Space Elevator concept through incremental studies and yearly conferences. Over the last 24 years, he has published multiple books on the topic as an author, co-author, and/or co-editor. He is a full Read More
Luis Torres
Founder & CEO, Torres Orbital Mining Inc
Luis Torres is the Founder and CEO of Torres Orbital Mining Inc. He brings more than a decade of experience in terrestrial mining, with work spanning heavy metals and aggregates across international operations. His background includes field execution, equipment deployment, and project development in dust-intensive, safety-critical mining environments. He has been recognized by the Moon Village Association as Lunar Game Changer for contributions to sustainable lunar surface systems and serves Read More