Pride in Space: How Scientists & Artists Landed Art On The Moon

On March 2 2025, art was landed on the moon as part of a mission to promote LGBTQ+ visibility and advocacy within the space sector. The artwork, co-created by Rania Djojosugito and Khushi Shah, was part of an initiative co-organsied between the Interstellar Foundation, an international non-profit organisation with a mission of archiving and disseminating human artifacts in space, and Space Pride, an international non-profit organisation advocating for LGBTQ+ inclusivity in the space sector. Collaborating as part of the ASPIRE One Record mission, the art installation signifies the importance of representing marginalised group as humanity reaches ever outwards and during the a time when LGBTQ+ visibility and broader equality, diversity and inclusion initiatives are under attack.

This webinar brings together the artists and scientists who made this installation possible. Together, they will speak on why such initiatives are important, how they managed to put art on the moon, and how people can engage in art-science initiatives. 

This webinar will last one hour and conclude with an audience Q&A.

This webinar will be recorded and uploaded to the EGU YouTube Channel following the event: https://www.youtube.com/egu.

Speakers

Khushi Shah (Space Pride - they/ them) is a Designer and Engineer from Mumbai, India. Connecting scientific innovation with human experience through strategic design is central to their practice in New York. They've led engineering teams across Asia Pacific, founded nonprofits in Europe, and sent art to the Moon. Their work at the intersection of art, science, and space exploration has been recognized as the AIAA Ascend Diverse Dozen and SGAC Asia Pacific Space Leader. As Vice President of Space Pride, they work to make the space industry more inclusive through artivism and advocacy. They are the co-creator of the Moon Artwork "Humanity's Journey into the Cosmos: We are All Made of Stardust".

Rania Djojosugito (Space Pride - she/her) is the Operations Director for Space Pride, ensuring the smooth flow of activities between specialised Committees and the wider Board. Whilst undertaking her PhD in Law in the field of space law- looking at the regulation of space debris re-entry and their environmental impact- Rania is passionate and dedicated in advocating for queer inclusion with-in and -outwith the space sector. Using not only the power of argumentation and words honed in her legal pursuit, Rania combines visual arts with activism and purpose. Hopeful that, where words may fall on deaf ears, visual arts can bring meaningful change. Such as her work in co-creating the Moon Artwork "Humanity's Journey into the Cosmos: We are All Made of Stardust". 

Simon D. A. Clark (European Geosciences Union - they/them) is the Projects Manager at the executive office of the European Geosciences Union, where they oversee community, organisational and project development. A science communicator with a PhD in climate change and risk modelling, Simon strives to make science accessible by engaging non-expert audiences, from artists and policy-makers to the public. Simon also has background in science-policy, having worked for academic, private and non-governmental organisations delivering policy analysis and communications. They are also a co-founder and former director of an LGBTQIA+ sports charity, and deliver workshops on LGBTQIA+ inclusion, science communication, and career development.

Walt Di Mantova (Interstellar Foundation) is an interdisciplinary technologist, anticipatory anthropologist, and unapologetic humanist who thrives at the collision point of innovation, culture, and disruption. He has spent his career dismantling silos—wiring together technology, anthropology, and social justice to reimagine how humans can shape, and survive, the future. As Executive Director of the Interstellar Foundation, Di Mantova leads a radical experiment in planetary memory: designing and launching human-made artifacts into deep space. Di Mantova is also the founder of The GEN Lab, a consultancy devoted to “saving lives, creating just economies, disrupting poverty, and shaping the future through learning.” A summa cum laude graduate in Anthropology from the University of Colorado, he earned an M.A. in Ethnography at the University of Michigan and served as a Senior Scholar Fellow at University College London.

If you have any questions about ‘Pride in Space: How Scientists & Artists Landed Art On The Moon’, please contact us via webinars@egu.eu.