Denver, Colorado – ispace technologies U.S., inc. (ispace-U.S.), an American lunar exploration company, is pleased to announce the formation of its U.S. Lunar Science Advisory Board (US LSAB), chaired by Dr. Alan Stern. This strategic initiative, which is launched in conjunction with the appointment of Elizabeth Kryst as new CEO of ispace-U.S. on April 1, 2025, aims to advance ispace-U.S.’s competitiveness in the U.S. market and elevate the company’s scientific capability by leveraging the expertise of distinguished leaders in the space industry.
The US LSAB will provide critical insights and recommendations to ispace-U.S. on matters related to scientific lunar exploration, technology development, strategic partnership, business strategy, and socio-economic assessments. The board’s guidance will be instrumental in advancing ispace’s mission to establish a sustainable cislunar economy and contribute to the broader goals of realizing the company’s vision, Moon Valley 2040. Dr. Stern, the Chairman of the US LSAB, is also a board member of the ispace Lunar Advisory Board, which is a global advisory board to ispace inc.
“The formation of this advisory board underscores our commitment to advancing lunar science and exploration. We look forward to collaborating with these distinguished leaders to further accelerate ispace-U.S.’s growth in the U.S. market and achieve our shared objectives,” said Elizabeth Kryst, CEO of ispace-U.S.
Ron Garan, Chairman of the Board of Directors of ispace-U.S., added, “We are honored to welcome such esteemed experts to our Lunar Science Advisory Board. Their collective experience will be invaluable as we work to expand our presence in the U.S. space industry and contribute to the nation’s lunar exploration efforts.”
Board Members:
The inaugural U.S. Lunar Science Advisory Board comprises:
Dr. Alan Stern
Former NASA Associate Administrator and principal investigator of the NASA New Horizons mission to explore Pluto and the Kuiper Belt, the farthest space exploration of worlds to date. In addition to serving as a commercial astronaut and served on the U.S. National Science Board, while twice being named to the Time 100 list of most influential people. He has written and edited numerous scientific and technical papers and articles and authored multiple books. Currently, he maintains his own aerospace consulting practice.
Dr. Amanda Hendrix
Deputy Director and Senior Scientist at the Planetary Science Institute, based in Tucson, AZ, with 25+ years of experience in research, planetary missions, team management, community leadership, and science communication/outreach. Her research, which focuses on UV-visible spectroscopy of solar system surfaces, includes moon and asteroid composition, lunar resource studies, space weathering effects and radiation products, and ocean worlds.
Dr. Philip Metzger
Planetary Scientist with the Florida Space Institute at the University of Central Florida performing research and technology development related to asteroid, lunar, and martian regolith, including soil mechanics, space weathering, mining, beneficiation, construction, and rocket exhaust interactions with regolith.
Dr. Lisa Gaddis
Former Director of the Lunar and Planetary Institute (LPI). She has broad scientific expertise that spans geology, geophysics, remote sensing, planetary science, space mission planning and operations, and data archiving. She has been a science team member on several NASA projects, including the Mars Exploration Rovers and the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, and she has received numerous NASA service awards. Her primary research interests include analyzing the composition, physical properties, and geologic history of the Moon using remote sensing data.
Dr. Jack Burns
Professor Emeritus of Astrophysics, Center for Astrophysics and Space Astronomy, Department of Astrophysical and Planetary Sciences; Professor Emeritus of Physics at the University of Colorado Boulder; and Vice President Emeritus for Academic Affairs for the University of Colorado. He is intimately familiar with NASA programs, having served on numerous NASA committees, including as Chair of the NASA Advisory Council’s Science Committee and member of the U.S. Presidential Transition Team for NASA.
Dr. Clive Neal
Lunar Evangelist and Professor of Planetary Geology at the University of Notre Dame. He has served on numerous mission and research review panels, including being the Chair of the Lunar Sample Allocation Subcommittee 2005-2009, and was a member of the Senior Review panel for NASA’s Planetary Science Division in 2012 and chaired that panel in 2014. He was the chair of NASA’s Lunar Exploration Analysis Group from 2006-2010, and again from 2015-2018. He is currently a member of the National Academies Committee on Astrobiology and Planetary Science and has helped in the training of the current class of NASA astronauts.
About ispace-U.S.
ispace – U.S. is an American lunar exploration company providing transportation and infrastructure capabilities from Earth to lunar orbit and the surface of the Moon for government and commercial customers. ispace believes that the utilization of lunar resources is the catalyst for enabling human permanence and economic opportunity on and around the Moon and is committed to achieving this goal. The company’s U.S. headquarters serves as the central location for the development of its APEX 1.0 lunar lander, which is being designed, manufactured, and launched in the United States. In partnership with Draper, this lander will deliver a suite of NASA-sponsored science payloads to the lunar surface as part of the NASA Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) Initiative.
For more information, follow us on LinkedIn and X: @ispace_us_inc.