Video envisioning a permanent observatory near the Moon South Pole
ILO-1 Mission Updates:
Toronto, 15 September 2025] – Canadensys Aerospace: "Canadensys selected by ILOA for flagship mission"
Kamuela, Hawai’i – July 2, 2025: INTERNATIONAL LUNAR OBSERVATORY ASSOCIATION (ILOA HAWAI'I) SELECTS ASTROLAB'S FLEX ROVER FOR MISSION TO LUNAR SOUTH POLE 
Image: ILOA’s ILO-1 instrument will be mounted on the Astrolab FLEX rover’s light bar
Today the International Lunar Observatory Association (ILOA Hawai‘i) announced it selected Astrolab’s FLEX rover to deliver the association’s flagship ILO-1 payload to the Moon as part of Astrolab’s Mission 1, a commercial mission first announced by the company in 2023. Mission 1 is targeted for no earlier than December 2026.
ILOA Hawai’i is designing its ILO-1 payload to function as a deep-space observatory on the lunar surface and establish a commercial communications relay that can send and receive data to and from Earth. It will also support long-term scientific operations, including imaging of the Milky Way.
The mission will land in the Moon’s south polar region at one of nine sites selected by NASA for its Artemis campaign. It will be the first commercial mission to deliver a surface observatory to that region and aims to operate remotely for at least one year following deployment.
“FLEX gives us a mobile, long-lived platform that enables us to pursue our vision of a multifunctional lunar observatory—one that engages humanity with space in new and tangible ways,” said Steve Durst, founding director of ILOA Hawai‘i. “From stunning views of the Milky Way to sending personal messages across the Earth-Moon gap, this mission will open the Moon to imagination, exploration and enterprise.”
ILOA has pursued its lunar observatory vision since 2007. The ILO-1 instrument will be mounted on FLEX’s panoramic lightbar, enabling it to capture wide-angle imagery of the celestial sky and the lunar environment, including potentially shadowed regions never before explored. The instrument will transmit raw data to Earth and receive uploaded files to send back from the Moon, offering potential commercial broadcast and archival services.
“ILOA’s payload demonstrates the diversity of commercial interest in the emerging lunar economy,” said Jaret Matthews, founder and CEO of Astrolab. “By enabling a long-lived, mobile observatory at the lunar south pole, FLEX is demonstrating the kind of infrastructure development that future astronauts, scientists, and commercial ventures will need to thrive on the Moon.”
About International Lunar Observatory Association:
ILOA is an interglobal enterprise incorporated in Hawai'i as a 501(c)(3) non-profit in 2007 to help realize the multifunctional ILO for long-term astronomy, science and exploration at the Moon South Pole, and to participate in human lunar base build-out - with Aloha.
ILOA’s precursor ILO-X dual imagers landed on the Moon on 22 February 2024. The mission received 341 images in total, 16 high-res images and 322 thumbnails. Also stored on the flash memory within the ILO-X instruments were digital assets (40 files in total, 2 of which were transmitted back to Earth from the Moon surface for Space Calendar Lunar Broadcasting).
Contact: info@iloa.org, +1-808-885-3474
Follow us on X
About Astrolab:
Astrolab is on a mission to move humanity forward to the next horizon by designing, building, and operating a fleet of multi-purpose rovers for all planetary surface needs. Formed by a highly specialized team of NASA veterans, former SpaceXers and JPL engineers, Astrolab is laser-focused
on providing adaptive mobility solutions essential for life beyond Earth. In 2023, Astrolab announced an agreement with SpaceX to land a FLEX rover on the Moon as soon as late 2026. In 2024, NASA awarded the company a contract to advance the development of NASA’s Lunar Terrain Vehicle (LTV) which will help Artemis astronauts explore more of the Moon’s surface on future missions.
The Astrolab team has industry-leading experience in terrestrial and planetary robotics, electric vehicles, human spaceflight and more. Astrolab’s depth of experience and strategic partnerships
with a wide array of world-class institutions, including electric vehicle pioneer Venturi Group, enables the delivery of Lunar and Mars mobility offerings at maximum reliability, flexibility, and cost effectiveness. The company is headquartered in Hawthorne, California. For more information, visit astrolab.space or follow us on X, LinkedIn, YouTube, and Instagram.
INTERNATIONAL LUNAR OBSERVATORY ASSOCIATION PLANS ILO-1 FLAGSHIP TO MALAPERT MOUNTAIN NET 2026, ILO-X PRECURSOR LANDS ON MOON 22 FEBRUARY 2024
Kamuela, Hawai’i / 1 March 2024 - ILOA is pursuing the development of its flagship ILO-1 that is intended to land on the ~5,000-meter tall Malapert Mountain NET 2026-27 for astronomy, observation and communication -- while looking forward to continued analyses / science from its precursor ILO-X payload which touched down on surface on the Moon east of Malapert A crater (at about 2,579-meter altitude) via the Intuitive Machines' IM-1 Nova-C lunar lander.
INTERNATIONAL LUNAR OBSERVATORY ASSOCIATION AND CANADENSYS AEROSPACE COMMENCE ILO-1 AND ILOA-2 MISSION DEVELOPMENT
Paris, France / Kamuela, Hawai’i / Toronto, Canada, Thursday 22 September 2022 - Following detailed discussions at the International Astronautical Congress in Paris this week, the International Lunar Observatory Association and Canadensys Aerospace have reached an agreement to concurrently begin development of the prime instruments for ILO-1 and ILO-2 Moon South Pole observatories.
Steve Durst, ILOA Founder and Director, stated “These flagship ILOA Missions will be designed for strategic lunar locations on Malapert Mountain and Shackleton Crater Rim. We are pleased to confirm the ILO-X instrument developer, Canadensys Aerospace, will also develop the main lunar instruments for ILO-1 and ILO-2.”
Christian Sallaberger, Canadensys President & CEO, added “We are honored to be chosen by ILOA to lead the development of ILO-1 and ILO-2 instruments. As the ILO-X precursor observatory awaits its launch to the Moon in early 2023 aboard Intuitive Machines IM-1, we are excited to now turn our attention to these flagship missions.”
About ILOA - The International Lunar Observatory Association was created to expand human understanding of the Cosmos through observation from our Moon – with Aloha. ILOA is an inter-global non-profit enterprise incorporated in Hawai'i in 2007. The primary goals of its flagship ILO-1 and ILO-2 robotic observatories are long-term astronomy, science and exploration at the Moon South Pole. ILOA welcomes input from astronautics, astrophysics, commerce and science communities for these evolving missions and payloads.
About CSYS - Canadensys Aerospace Corporation is one of Canada’s most innovative space systems companies servicing customers around the world. We blend our advanced space hardware capabilities with smart, ruggedized designs to develop unique solutions for planetary, orbital and terrestrial environments based on modern, commercial business approaches to space program and mission development.
INTERNATIONAL LUNAR OBSERVATORY ASSOCIATION, 5 MISSION UPDATE:
PIONEERING HUMANITY'S RETURN TO MOON, SEEKING LONG-TERM SUSTAINABILITY
11 FEBRUARY 2022
ILOA is preparing its ILO-X precursor science education payload for integration on Intuitive Machines Nova-C lander later this year, while also continuing to advance more robust ILO-1, ILO-2 observatories for future long-term astronomy, science and exploration missions. As humanity prepares to establish itself as a multi-world species by planning settlements on the Moon, led by commercial enterprise and various International Space Agencies. Along with conducting astrophysical, other observations and communications from the Moon, ILOA will help catalyze Human Lunar build-out at the Moon South Pole.
ILOA is facilitating an international effort with major and emerging space powers, companies, science and educational institutions, teachers, students and the general public to advance galaxy awareness / galacticity by expanding the frontiers of astronomy, exploration, enterprise and education to the South Pole of the Moon -- a goal as exciting and enriching as humans on Mars or trillion dollar asteroids, and much closer in time and space.
The precursor ILO-X dual instruments payload, developed to achieve the first Milky Way Galaxy image and astronomical observation and communications from the Moon, is contracted to launch aboard Intuitive Machines IM-1 mission to the equatorial region of Oceanus Procellarum. With an expected launch date June 2022 via SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, ILOA is poised to demonstrate the potential value of astronomy and communications from the lunar surface.
The flagship ILO-1 mission is being developed through work of ILOA prime contractor Canadensys Aerospace Corp of Toronto, Ontario. Canadensys is working to deliver "a flight-ready low-cost optical payload for the ILO-1 mission, ruggedized for the Moon South Pole environment". Canadensys is working closely with Intuitive Machines to ensure ILO-1 development could potentially be ready for integration on the company's IM-2 mission to land at the Moon South Pole NET December 2022. ILOA is planning to develop two almost identical payloads in order to be ready for a follow-on mission, ILO-2. Canadensys completed the Lunar Electronics Program for ILOA in October 2017, Moon South Pole Landing Site Characterization Research in early 2017, a Lunar Optics Program in spring 2019 and pursues opportunities to collaborate with Canadian Space Agency.
ILOA real-time astronomy activity on the lunar surface continues for ILOA through an MoU with National Astronomical Observatories of China (NAOC) utilizing the Lunar Ultraviolet Telescope aboard China Chang'e-3 Moon lander which recently reached 7 full years on the Moon in December 2020.
The Galaxy Forum program pursues its two principal priorities since 2008: To advance Galaxy 21st Century Education in every class, and to develop Principal Operating Partnerships to support ILOA missions, with notable POP progress in Canada and Southeast Asia, as well as in Japan, China, India and Europe.
On Hawaii, the Mauna Kea World Peace Park 21st Century transcending vision of former Mayor Harry Kim works to define itself, providing inspiration, direction and foundation. ILOA hopes to soon develop its Global Headquarters and Research Center on Hawaii Island in the historic town of Kamuela. ILOA, Space Age Publishing Company and the Galaxy Forum program are also raising awareness and advocating for the pioneering possibilities of "First Women on the Moon", the theme adopted in response to ILOA advocacy by the International Astronautical Federation for a special high-level "3G Diversity Forum" Wednesday 27 September 2017 at the IAC in Australia. "First Women / Americans at the Moon South Pole 2025" is an ILOA / Space Age editorial theme also put forth for the current USA Administration, with still-undetermined effect and success, and it will be the theme of several Galaxy Forum events this year. To download the poster SPC, ILOA "Women in Space, Women on the Moon" please click here.
ILO Mission Studies
Advantages of Astronomy from the Moon
ILO information on Wikipedia
CANADENSYS AEROSPACE STUDIES FOR ILOA:
2017-2019, ILO-1 Lunar Optics Program
2016-2017, ILO-1 Lunar Electronics Program
2015, ILO-1 Site Characterization and Payload Advancement
2014, Canadensys ILO-1 Lander Options Analysis
GOLDEN SPIKE COMPANY:
2012-2019, Human Lunar Lander Mission Collaboration
MOON EXPRESS STUDIES FOR ILOA:
2016-2019, ILO-1 Safe and Precise Lunar Landing Studies
2012-2013, ILO-X Rapid Development Program Phase 3
2011-2012, ILO-X Rapid Development Program Phase 2
2010-2011, ILO-X Rapid Development Program Phase 1
MDA STUDIES FOR ILOA:
2009-10, ILO Payload Definition Program
2008, ILO Precursor Mission Pre-Phase A Study
ODYSSEY MOON STUDIES FOR ILOA:
2007-2010, ILO Malapert Mountain and ILO-X precursor studies
SPACEDEV STUDIES FOR ILOA:
2008, Phase 6, ILO Payload Definition Program
2007, Phase 5, ILO Lunar Lander Demonstrator
2006, Phase 4, Human Service Mission to the ILOs, 2010-2015: Lunar Rover and Flyby
2005, Phase 3, Human Service Mission to the ILOs, 2010-2015
2004, Phase 2, ILO: Safe and Precision Landing
2003, Phase 1, General Feasibility Study on the Lunar Dish Observatory