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
Department of Astronautical Engineering USC Viterbi School of Engineering and USC School of Architecture
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
Dr. Bernard Foing
President SRI, CEO LUNEX EuroMoonMars
Prof. Bernard H. Foing is President of Space Renaissance International, Executive Director of ILEWG, CEO of LUNEX EuroSpaceHub and EuroMoonMars Earth Space Innovation, and Chief Scientist at Qomosys. He holds an ERA Chair in Riga, Latvia, and is a guest professor at Leiden Observatory, ISU, and IPSA, and was formerly at EPFL and VU Amsterdam. He is a member of several IAF committees, including IPC, space exploration, astronomy, space habitats, Read More
Michelle Hanlon
Executive Director, Air and Space Law at Ole Miss
Michelle L.D. Hanlon is a leading American space lawyer and advocate for responsible space exploration. Dubbed “Godmother of Space Law,” she serves as Executive Director of the Center for Air and Space Law at Ole Miss. She is Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Space Law. Hanlon is co-founder, President, and CEO of For All Moonkind, the only nonprofit dedicated to protecting humanity’s cultural heritage in outer space. Under her leadership, Read More
Dr. Nick Kanas
Professor Emeritus (Psychiatry), University of California, San Francisco
Dr. 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 Read More
Wanjiku Chebet Kanjumba
CEO, Vicillion
Wanjiku Chebet Kanjumba is an aerospace engineer, futurist, and space enthusiast with a deep passion for advancing humanity’s presence in space and expanding space accessibility. She holds degrees in Aerospace Engineering, including a Bachelor’s and Master’s, with a minor in Space Operations. She is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Aerospace Engineering alongside certifications in Engineering Leadership, Engineering Innovation, and Engineering Project Management. She contributes to groundbreaking projects such as the 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
Braedyn Kim
Student, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Braedyn’s team is part of the Illinois Space Society and is composed of undergraduate students at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign with backgrounds in aerospace, mechanical, and electrical engineering, as well as physics, materials science, and computer science. The team focuses on the development of cryogenic fluid transfer systems for lunar applications and has participated in the NASA Human Lander Challenge (HuLC). Their work is conducted under the guidance of 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, SETI Institute and Mars Institute - ISDC 2026 Co-Chair
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
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
Ela Sen
Student Intern, Mars Institute
Ela Sen is a high school senior at Brooklyn Technical High School in New York and will begin her undergraduate studies in Aeronautics & Astronautics at MIT in Fall 2026. She has been interested in engineering and space exploration for as long as she can remember. As the president of her high school’s model rocketry club, she is leading its competition at the American Rocketry Challenge National Finals in May 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
David Jun Yang
Dean of Sustainable Development, Tsinghua Shanghai International Innovation Center
David is a cross-border executive and sustainability strategist focused on how critical resource systems—particularly water—enable AI-driven and space-based infrastructure. He is also an Executive Council member of Tsinghua University’s School of Aerospace Engineering, reflecting his engagement at the intersection of sustainability and space systems. With over 30 years of international leadership, David has advanced energy efficiency and water as critical infrastructure through large-scale industrial systems, working with organizations including Mercedes-Benz Read More