International Lunar Observatory Association

About the ILOA

The International Lunar Observatory Association is a Hawaii-based non-profit organization dedicated to expanding human knowledge of the Cosmos through observation from the Moon, via its ILO and ILO Human Service missions.

The ILOA Board of Directors currently consists of 15 members and one Honorary Director:

  • Kimo Pihana of Hilo, HI:  Kimo is a renowned Native Hawaiian Cultural Practitioner and Kahuna. He is also a ranger for the Mauna Kea Support Services.
  • U.R. Rao of Bangalore, India:  Professor Rao, former Chairman of ISRO and presently Chairman of the Research Council of Physical Research Laboratory, Ahmedabad, is widely regarded as the man who guided India to the status of major space power.  In 2004, Space News, an authoritative space weekly published from the USA, ranked Prof U R Rao among the top ten international personalities who have made a difference in civil, commerce and military space in the world since 1989.
  • Robert Richards of Toronto, Canada:  Bob is Founder and CEO of Odyssey Moon, the first official team to register for the Google Lunar XPrize.  He is also the Director of the Space Division at Optech Incorporated, a world leading developer of advanced laser radar (lidar) systems for space exploration, observation and operations. In 1987 Bob founded the International Space University (ISU) with Peter Diamandis and Todd Hawley. Read full bio here.
  • Jean-Luc Josset of Neuchantel, Switzerland:  Jean Luc, of Space-Exploration Institute, is an astronomer and researcher.  He was the principal investigator responsible for developing the AMIE camera of the first European lunar mission, SMART-1.
  • Maohai Huang of Beijing, China:  Maohai is an astronomer and researcher who is involved in multiple space science projects including China's lunar exploration programs, the World Space Observatory -- Ultraviolet, ESA's Herschel observatory, and space radioastronomy at very low frequencies at the National Astronomical Observatories, Chinese Academy of Sciences.
  • Christian Veillet of Kamuela, HI:  Christian is an astronomer and the Executive Director of the Canada France Hawaii Telescope Corporation on Hawai‘i Island.
  • Paul Lowman of Bowie, MD:  Paul Lowman is a geophysicist at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, where he has worked for nearly 50 years. His experience includes extensive contributions to the Apollo program.
  • David Schrunk of Poway, CA:  David G. Schrunk is an aerospace engineer and medical doctor. He is the author of multiple articles and a comprehensive book on Lunar exploration.
  • Yuki Takahashi of Berkeley, CA:  Yuki is a PhD student at UC Berkeley studying Experimental Astrophysics. His main research interests have been astronomy from the Moon and the South Pole experimental cosmology project: ‘Measurement of cosmic microwave polarization from the South Pole.’
  • Manny Pimenta of Rahway, NY:  Manny is currently President of Lunar Explorer, LLC, a company he formed to develop and market a Virtual Moon Simulation. He believes that space exploration and the experience of space should be personal and direct and he created Lunar Explorer so everyone could visually experience being on the Moon. He has chaired two Return To The Moon Conferences sponsored by the Space Frontier Foundation and ran their Return To the Moon Project for 3 years. He speaks and lectures at schools, conferences and universities on space settlement and colonizing the Moon.
  • Steve Durst of Kamuela, HI: Steve Durst is editor and publisher at Space Age Pubishing Company, which operates offices in California (1976) and Hawaii (1988). Space Age publishes Lunar Enterprise Daily and Space Calendar weekly, supports the Stanford on the Moon and Ad Astra Kansas initiatives, and pursues a business plan consistent with establishing a third office on the Moon. Steve's work as Director of the Hawaii Island-based International Lunar Observatory Association aims to engage the resources of major spacefaring powers China, India, Europe, Russia, Japan, Canada, USA and others towards ILO near term realization, Galaxy Center first-light imaging, and Human follow-on operations. Steve moved to California in 1961 from New York (b. 1943) to attend university, and earned degrees from Stanford in European and American history.
  • Charles Bohannan of Kamuela, HI: Charles serves as Executive Director and Associate Editor for ILOA and Space Age Publishing Company, with which he has worked closely since 2002. He helped plan and organize the successful International Lunar Conference 2003. Originally from Hawai'i, Charles works to support and promote Pacific hemisphere astrophysical and space commerce leadership. His international experience includes attending the IAC in Hyderabad, India in September 2007. Over the past ten years, Charles has served as writer, editor and marketer for select businesses and organizations throughout Hawaii and Alaska. He graduated in 2002 from the University of Hawaii at Manoa with a BA in English. In addition to his ILOA duties, Charles is the founder and creative director of Wordful, a small niche web marketing company.
  • Leilehua Yuen of Hilo, HI:  Leilehua Yuen is a cultural practitioner, kumu hula, writer, and artist, and helps businesses to develop culturally appropriate models for their activities in Hawai‘i.
  • Joseph Sulla of Honokaa, HI:  Joseph works in the Hawai‘i ILOA office, and is also an assistant editor for Space Age Publishing Company. Living in Hawai‘i for the last 12 years, he has cultivated his interests in space science by studying astronomy at the University of Hawai‘i at Hilo, and by researching archeoastronomy and cosmology. His M.A. in transpersonal psychology from Saybrook Graduate School included a focus on cross-cultural studies, and extensive field work in the Brazilian Amazon. He has presented his M.A. research at several international conferences in Europe.
  • Jim Benson of San Diego, CA:  Jim is the Founder of SpaceDev Inc. Under Benson's guidance, SpaceDev developed critical hybrid rocket motor technology and furnished all of the rocket motors for Paul Allen's SpaceShipOne, the craft that earned the $10 million Ansari X Prize in 2004.
  • (Honorary) Cmdr. John Young of Seabrook, TX:  Commander Young is the first person to fly in space six times from Earth, and seven times counting his lunar liftoff. His fourth space flight, Apollo 16, April 16-27, 1972, was a lunar exploration mission, with Young as Spacecraft Commander, and Ken Mattingly and Charlie Duke.