The Canadian Lunar Research Network (CLRN) was established in 2008 by the Canadian planetary science community in response to growing interest from both academia and industry in developing lunar science and exploration expertise in Canada. In 2018, the CLRN initiative was relaunched thanks to renewed interest from the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) and from the international space exploration community in expanding the scope of lunar exploration activities with the goal of returning both humans and rovers to the lunar surface within the next decade.
This network is comprised of world-class scientists, engineers, and entrepreneurs, from academic, industrial, government, and not-for-profit institutions across Canada. The primary node for the network is the Institute for Earth and Space Exploration (Western Space) at Western University in London Ontario. In July 2008, CLRN became the first international affiliate partner of NASA’s Lunar Science Institute (NLSI), which was expanded to the new NASA Solar System Virtual Research Institute (SSERVI) in November 2013. For additional information on SSERVI and the other international SSERVI nodes visit the SSERVI homepage.