Due to the sensitive nature of this project, please get in touch with us at info@spacepride.org for our written consent before publishing any material on the project.

Press Release: Art on the Moon – A Tool for LGBTQ+ Advocacy by the Space Pride Community

Space Pride Announces Historic Artwork on the Moon

Space Pride announces our artwork, “Humanity’s Journey into the Galaxy: We Are All Made of Stardust,” has landed at two locations on the Moon: Mare Crisium and near Mons Mouton on the lunar south side. The piece is part of the ASPIRE One Record, a project by the Interstellar Foundation. Whilst this project was delivered on both Firefly Aerospace’s Blue Ghost Mission 1 and Intuitive Machines’ IM-2 mission, Firefly Aerospace and Intuitive Machines are not collaborators to the ASPIRE One Record Project, nor to the Space Pride art piece.

This collaboration marks a milestone in Space Pride’s mission to raise awareness and promote advocacy, education, and community both within the space sector and beyond.

---

Two Missions, One Shared Moon

Captions and Details of the Images

1. Analog physically etched copy of the Space Pride artwork on a Nanofiche disk // Interstellar Foundation
2. Microchip contained digital copy of the Space Pride encased in the Lifeship Pyramid // Interstellar Foundation
3. Lifeship Pyramid aboard the Blue Ghost Lunar Lander // Interstellar Foundation
4. Blue Ghost Lander // Firefly Aerospace and NASA
5. View of the Earth from lunar orbit taken from the Blue Ghost Lander // Firefly Aerospace
6. View of the lunar surface taken by the Blue Ghost lander // Firefly Aerospace
7. Location of the Blue Ghost Lander // Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter NASA
8. First sunrise captured by the Blue Ghost Lander on the surface of the Moon // Firefly Aerospace
9. Artistic render of the Lonestar Freedom Payload on the Athena Lander on the surface of the Moon // BIG (Bjarke Ingels Group)/Dezeen/Lonestar Data Holdings
10. Athena Lander // Intuitive Machines and NASA
11. View of the Earth from orbit taken by the Athena Lander // Intuitive Machines
12. View of the surface of the moon taken by the Athena Lander // Intuitive Machines
13. Location of the Athena Lander // Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter NASA

Space Pride’s contribution is now a permanent part of lunar history, thanks to two missions backed by NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services program (CLPS). These missions represent the growing involvement of private and nonprofit organizations in space exploration.

• Firefly Aerospace’s Blue Ghost Mission 1 (January 15, 2025) delivered the artwork both in digital form (on a Lifeship Pyramid) and etched physically (on a NanoFiche disk) on the Blue Ghost Lander to the Mare Crisium area.
• Intuitive Machines’ IM-2 mission (February 26, 2025) carried the piece aboard the Lonestar Freedom Payload on the Athena Lander to the Mons Mouton region.

These missions are one of the first to carry LGBTQ+ representation to the Moon, marking a pivotal moment in space exploration.

---

The Creation of the Artwork

“Humanity’s Journey into the Galaxy: We are All made of Stardust”

Created by Rania Djojosugito and Khushi Shah with input from the Space Pride Community, Digital Illustration using Procreate in 2023

The LGBTQ+ community continues to experience discrimination and marginalization, which can lead to isolation and anxiety. For Space Pride, this artwork serves as a symbol of tolerance, acceptance, and unity. As Rania Djojosugito, Artist and Operations Director of Space Pride, explains,

“Art is a powerful tool to invoke a sense of community and humanity. It is a universal means to share a message without using words, allowing everyone to relate or identify themselves in it. I hope having this piece on the Moon will remind people that they are valid and heard. That the world is changing!”

Khushi Shah, Artist and Vice President of Space Pride, adds,

“Artists can bring a unique combination of critical thinking, curiosity, and creativity through their practice. As we reach for stars and planets beyond Earth, it is important to showcase all forms of human culture and connection.”

For Scott Scoular, President of Space Pride, the significance of this achievement cannot be overstated:

“Having something on the Moon which represents the LGBTQ+ community is not just inspiring for those of us working in the space sector. It means that now, any LGBTQ+ person, anywhere on Earth (or in space) can look at the Moon and know that regardless of what is happening on Earth, we will never be erased.”

---

Background Information

Space Pride is an international nonprofit organization that aims to create inclusive and safe spaces for LGBTQ+ individuals in the space sector, advocating for diversity and equity in STEM fields and beyond. Through awareness, education, and advocacy, Space Pride seeks to foster a more accepting environment for all individuals in the space industry. 

Interstellar Foundation is a nonprofit organization dedicated to bringing awareness to humanity’s creativity and diversity through the design and sending of human artifacts into space. Their ASPIRE One Record, a project led by Professor Anamaria Berea from George Mason University, preserves humanity’s cultural and scientific heritage on the Moon, with notable contributions from scientific, historical, and cultural figures. 

NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) Initiative is a program that allows private companies to deliver payloads to the Moon and beyond, expanding the participation of non-governmental entities in lunar exploration. This initiative helps to democratize space exploration, making it more accessible to diverse organizations, including nonprofits like Space Pride.

Credits for Images: Firefly Aerospace/Intuitive Machines/NASA/Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter NASA/BIG (Bjarke Ingels Group)/Dezeen/Lonestar Data Holdings/Life Ship

---

For Media Inquiries, please contact: info@spacepride.org