By 
February 8th, 2026
Image credit: Steve Durst/ILOA
I am saddened to learn that my good friend for decades, Steve Durst, has passed away.
Steve was the founding director of the International Lunar Observatory Association (ILOA), a dedicated leader in furthering international space cooperation. He was publisher and editor at Space Age Publishing Company since 1976, operating from both Hawai’i and California offices.
Avenues of cooperation
Durst was unstinting in his work toward finding avenues of space cooperation with China. Indeed, that dedication led to his involvement on the upcoming mission of China’s Chang’e-7 Moon lander.
On Chang’e-7’s manifest for the Moon is a telescope, a collaboration between the University of Hong Kong’s Laboratory for Space Research and ILOA.
Image of a BISME camera electrical model.
Image credit: Steve Durst/BISME
Not too long ago, Durst told me that the ILO-C is a wide-field telescope designed for the Chang’e-7 lunar lander. The instrument had successfully passed all flight model testing, securing its acceptance as a payload, he said.
Big picture person
“This advanced astronomical camera is set to launch aboard China’s Chang’e-7 mission, scheduled to land near the illuminated rim of Shackleton Crater in the lunar south pole region in November 2026,” Durst said. “The telescope aims to capture stunning images of the galactic plane, contributing to lunar science and inspiring future generations.”
The telescope is being develop by the Beijing Institute of Space Mechanics & Electricity (BISME), known for its camera and instrument expertise, already flown on Chang’E lunar and Tianwen-1 Mars missions.
Image from International Lunar Observatory Association’s ILO-X wide field-of-view imager taken on February 22, 2024 about 4.2 minutes prior to the Intuitive Machines Odysseus faulty touchdown. It shows craters in the Moon’s south pole region as well as the IM-1 Odysseus lunar lander.
Image credit: ILOA Hawai’i
Durst was always a “big picture” person – even from the perspective offered by the Moon — and will be missed.
In all my communiqués back and forth with Steve, he always greeted and bid farewell with the Hawaiian word “Aloha” – meaning both “Hello” and “Goodbye.”
So Galactically Aloha back to you my good friend…I’ll miss you.
Posted in Space News
