13–14 November 2025 | Applied Physics Laboratory | Laurel, MD

International LILA Meeting

2025 Lunar GW Workshop

LILA

Introduction

The Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) and the Vanderbilt Lunar Labs Initiative cordially invite the scientific community to the International LILA Meeting (2025 Lunar Gravitational-Wave Workshop), to be held 13–14 November 2025 at APL, Laurel, Maryland, USA. This is the fifth annual meeting in the Lunar GW Workshop series, following Belle-Île-en-Mer (2024), Nashville (2023), Bern (2022) and Cascina (2021). The 2025 Lunar GW workshop will take place in Building 200 on APL’s South Campus.

This meeting continues community discussions on the Laser Interferometer Lunar Antenna (LILA) project - a proposed detector on the lunar surface to measure gravitational waves in the mid-band between ground-based detectors LIGO–Virgo–KAGRA and the future space mission LISA. The primary foci of this workshop will be on defining the science goals, instrument implementation, deployment timeline, and establishing the formal consortium structure for LILA. Sessions will include multi-messenger astrophysics, lunar geoscience, instrumentation, and technology development.

Non-government Registration
Government / No Registration Fee
Maps

Scientific Organizing Committees

  • Karan Jani, Vanderbilt University (co-chair)
  • Jim Kinnison, Applied Physics Laboratory (co-chair)
  • James Trippe, Vanderbilt University (co-chair)
  • John Conklin, University of Florida
  • Stephen Eikenberry, University of Central Florida 
  • Kris Izquierdo, Applied Physics Laboratory 
  • Philippe Lognonné, Institut de Physique du Globe de Paris
  • Mark Panning, Jet Propulsion Laboratory
  • Volker Quetschke, University of Texas Rio-Grande Valley
  • Robert Reed, Vanderbilt University 
  • Brett Shapiro, Applied Physics Laboratory
  • Joseph Silk, Johns Hopkins University

Confirmed Speakers

  • Giada Bargiacchi — INFN-National Laboratories of Frascati
  • Ben Bussey — Intuitive Machines
  • A.C. Charania — Zeno Power
  • John Conklin — University of Florida
  • Teviet Creighton — University of Texas Rio Grande Valley
  • Addie Dove — University of Central Florida
  • Stephen Eikenberry — University of Central Florida
  • A.J. Gemer — Lunar Outpost
  • Milena Graziano — Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory
  • Kris Izquierdo — Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory
  • Karan Jani — Vanderbilt University
  • Jason Kalirai — Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory
  • Jim Kinnison — Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory
  • Philippe Lognonné — Institut de Physique du Globe de Paris
  • Danielle Mortensen — Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory
  • Paul Ostdiek — Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory
  • Mark Panning — NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory
  • Volker Quetschke — University of Texas Rio Grande Valley
  • Robert Reed — Vanderbilt University
  • Nick Schmerr — University of Maryland
  • Brett Shapiro — Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory
  • Dave Shoemaker — Massachusetts Institute of Technology
  • Mark Storm — Fibertek, Inc.
  • James Trippe — Vanderbilt University

Agenda

Day 1 — Thursday, November 13, 2025

9:00 — Welcome
Jim Kinnison (APL) & James Trippe (Vanderbilt University)

9:10 — APL Plenary
Jason Kalirai (APL)

9:30 — Status of Gravitational-Wave Astronomy
Dave Shoemaker (MIT)

10:00 — Introduction to LILA
Karan Jani (Vanderbilt University)

10:20 — LILA System Definition
Volker Quetschke (UTRGV)

10:40 – 11:00 — Coffee Break

11:00 — LILA-Pioneer
Teviet Creighton (UTRGV)

11:20 — Lunar RetroReflectors for LILA and Lunar PPN Physics
Giada Bargiacchi (INFN-LNF)

11:40 — LOVBB / Seismic Noise
Philippe Lognonné (IPGP)

12:00 — Artemis III LEMS
Nick Schmerr (University of Maryland)

12:30 – 2:00 — Lunch

2:00 — Lunar Normal Modes and Gravitational Waves
Philippe Lognonné (IPGP)

2:20 — LILA-Horizon SUS
Brett Shapiro (APL)

2:40 — LILA-Horizon GravComb
Stephen Eikenberry (UCF)

3:00 — Lunar Environmental Challenges
James Trippe (Vanderbilt University)

3:20 — LISA Instrumentation Synergies
John Conklin (University of Florida)

3:40 – 4:00 — Coffee Break

4:00 – 5:00 — Technical Discussion: LILA-Pioneer & LILA-Horizon Noise Curves
Volker Quetschke, Teviet Creighton, Philippe Lognonné, Brett Shapiro, James Trippe, Stephen Eikenberry, Dave Shoemaker (moderator)

5:00 — Adjourn

Day 2 — Friday, November 14, 2025

9:00 — Welcome
Jim Kinnison (APL) & James Trippe (Vanderbilt University)

9:10 — LTV
A.J. Gemer (Lunar Outpost)

9:30 — Intuitive Machines
Ben Bussey

9:50 — Fibertek, Inc.
Mark Storm

10:10 — Zeno Power
A.C. Charania

10:40 – 11:00 — Coffee Break

11:00 — LILA Geoscience
Mark Panning (NASA JPL)

11:10 — LILA Astrophysics
Karan Jani (Vanderbilt University)

11:20 — LILA Science Panel (Astrophysics & Geoscience)
Karan Jani, Teviet Creighton, Dave Shoemaker, Mark Panning, Philippe Lognonné, Kris Izquierdo (moderator)

12:10 — Lunar Dust and Its Impact on Deployed Assets
Addie Dove (UCF)

12:30 – 2:00 — Lunch

2:00 — RPS
Paul Ostdiek (APL)

2:20 — LOGIC
Danielle Mortensen (APL)

2:40 — LSIC
Milena Graziano (APL)

3:00 — Panel: What Constitutes a Space-Ready LILA-Pioneer?
Ben Bussey, John Conklin, A.J. Gemer, Robert Reed, A.C. Charania, Volker Quetschke, Jim Kinnison (moderator)

3:40 – 4:00 — Coffee Break

4:00 — Discussion: What Will It Take to Launch LILA-Pioneer by the 2030s? What Funding Opportunities Are Available for LILA?

4:40 — Next Steps for LILA Collaboration
Karan Jani & Robert Reed (Vanderbilt University)

5:00 — Adjourn

Accommodation

The Applied Physics Laboratory is located in Laurel, MD, USA. There is a comprehensive list of hotels local to APL on their website, however we specifically recommend the following:

Homewood Suites by Hilton Columbia/Laurel

7531 Montpelier Road, Laurel, MD, 20723, USA (Website)

Homewood Suites is the closest to APL/South Campus in Laurel, MD. It is walking distance to Building 200 and adjacent to Montpelier Shopping Center.

Residence Inn Fulton at Maple Lawn

11800 W Market Pl, Fulton, MD, 20759, USA (Website)

Located in Maple Lawn, walking distance to restaurants and a short drive to APL.

Merriweather Lakehouse Autograph Collection

10209 Wincopin Circle, Columbia, Maryland, USA, 21044 (Website)

A luxury hotel roughly 6 miles to APL, requires car/Uber/Lyft.

Things to Do In Laurel

Montpelier Shopping Center

Located directly next to Homewood Suites, Montpelier Shopping Center is home to restaurants like:

Maple Lawn Restaurants

There are also a variety of restaurants in Maple Lawn, walking distance from the Residence Inn.