08 Dec 2003

The Conference was a notable success, pointing to human lunar presence within the decade, and thankfully, will be succeeded by ILEWG 6 in India 22-26 November 2004, by ILEWG 7 in China or Europe in 2005.

Finally, we especially extend thanks and mahalos to all the participants involved in ILC2003 / ILEWG 5,  

The Organizers, ILC2003 / ILEWG 5 Hawaii,

THE HAWAII MOON DECLARATION

The Moon is currently the focus of an international program of scientific investigation. Current missions underway or planned will lead to the future use of the Moon for science and commercial development, thereby multiplying opportunities for humanity in space and on Earth. We need the Moon for many reasons: to use its resources of materials and energy to provide for our future needs in space and on Earth, to establish a second reservoir of human culture in the event of a terrestrial catastrophe, and to study and understand the universe. The next step in human exploration beyond low Earth orbit logically is to the Moon, our closest celestial neighbor in the Solar System.

Declaring this, we note large gaps in our understanding and knowledge must be addressed before the Moon can fully serve the noble purposes we identify. Many nations are conducting or planning lunar missions (ESA - SMART 1; Japan - Lunar A, SELENE; China - Chang¿e; and India - Chandrayaan 1) that offer an opportunity for international cooperation fundamental for long-term public and private development and science. We strongly support the continued development of these missions. However, more knowledge is needed, requiring more complex capabilities than are now planned, including the first landings of spacecraft on the Moon since the Luna and Apollo programs of the 1960s and 1970s.

During the International Lunar Conference 2003, we identified a number of main thrusts for an expanded lunar program: assessment and use of potential ice / water resources at the lunar poles for human use; development of energy resources for both Moon and Earth and establishment of lunar astrophysical observatories. We have concluded that, for the future development of the Moon, the deposits of hydrogen indicated by the USA Clementine and Lunar Prospector missions must be fully understood to confirm their nature and importance for future planetary exploration, development and human settlement.

We recommend a sequence of technology, exploration and commercial missions on the road to this human Moon presence. We support the goals of a comprehensive series of missions including polar orbiters and landers, South Pole-Aitken Sample Return, Selene-B, Lunar Globe and Aurora lunar demonstrator. We advocate robotic engineering precursors for in-situ resource utilization and deployment of infrastructures preparing for human-tended operations.

To encourage and stimulate the peaceful and progressive development of the Moon, we recommend that the international community of national space agencies, companies and individuals operate and maintain an exploratory mission at a pole of the Moon to serve as a catalyst for future human missions within a decade.

Our vision is one of expanding humanity into space on an endless journey. We believe a human return to the Moon is the next step into the Solar System and the future of the human race. Aloha.

The Signatories

Niklolai Abrosimov, Marengo, Russia
James R. Arnold, NASA Ames, USA
Chen K. Arth, USA
Ruiz Begoña, Colorado School of Mines, USA
Jim Benson, SpaceDev, USA
Narendra Bhandari, Physical Research Laboratory, India
Brad Blair, Colorado School of Mines, USA
Per Bodin, Swedish Space Corporation, Europe
James D. Burke, NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (ret), USA
Charles Bohannan, Space Age Publishing Company, USA
Bill Carswell, NASA Marshall Space Flight Center, USA
Wanda Carswell, USA
Dan Casale, NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, USA
Michael Cerney, Space Age Publishing Company, USA
Robert Cesarone, NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, USA
Patrick Collins, Azabu University, Japan
Javier Diaz, Colorado School of Mines, USA
Steve Durst, Space Age Publishing Company, USA
Sidra Durst, USA
Megan Fisher, student, USA
Bernard Foing, European Space Agency, Europe
Erik Galimov, Vernadsky Institute of Technology, Russia
Alan Holt, NASA Johnson Space Center, USA
Viacheslav Ivashkin, Keldysh Institute, Russia
Eva Jane Lark, BMO Nesbitt Burns, Canada
Paul D. Lowman, Jr., NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, USA
Horst Uwe Keller, Max-Planck-Institut für Aeronomie, Europe
Jonathan A. Kemp, USA
Kurt Klaus, Boeing, USA
Trygve Magelssen, University of North Dakota, USA
Steve R. Martin, Lockheed Martin, USA
Kohtaro Matsumoto, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, Japan
Wendell Mendell, NASA Johnson Space Center, USA
David P. Miller, University of Oklahoma, USA
Gregory Nemitz, Orbdev, USA
Manny Pimenta, Space Frontier Foundation, USA
James Powell, Maglev 2000, USA
Guiseppe Racca, European Space Agency, Europe
Jesus Raygoza B., Mexico
Robert Richards, Optech, Canada
Carol Rosin, Institute for Cooperation in Space, USA
Eligar Sadeh, University of North Dakota, USA
Christian Sallaberger, MD Robotics, Canada
David Schrunk, Science of Laws Institute, USA
Robert Strong, West Liberty State College, USA
Paul D. Spudis, John Hopkins University, USA
Yuki Takahashi, University of California Berkeley, USA
Lawrence Taylor, University of Tennessee, USA
Chris Thomason, Space Age Publishing Company, USA
Roger Thomasson, USA
Ting Ting Martin, USA
Paul van Susante, Colorado School of Mines, USA
Leilehua Yuen, Hawaii Island Space Exploration Society, USA
Tamani Yotsukura, Space Business Art, Japan