TransLunar aims to bring together and raise the profile of trans and gender diverse people who are, or hope to be, part of the space ecosystem within Australia and globally.
TransLunar hopes to start and contribute to conversations on creating a JEDI (Just, Equitable, Diverse and Inclusive) space for all for trans and gender diverse people - whether this be in industry, civil society, academia or up there in the stars.
While using the phrasing “trans and gender diverse people”, TransLunar acknowledges that this umbrella phrase can never capture the many ways in which trans and gender diverse people self-identify.
TransLunar also recognises there is no singular trans and gender diverse experience, and that trans and gender diverse people have intersecting identities, making each experience unique.
Think of TransLunar as a protostar - a not-yet star that is still forming and evolving. TransLunar is currently the work of one person, with hopes for that to change in future. If you are trans and gender diverse in the space ecosystem, please say hello.
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TransLunar was created on Kaurna country (also known as Adelaide, Australia), and acknowledges the Kaurna people as the Traditional Owners and Custodians, and pays respects to the Kaurna people’s Elders, past and present. TransLunar pays respects to all First Nations peoples, including those who are trans and gender diverse.
TransLunar recognises the continuing cultural and spiritual relationship with the land, sea, waterways and sky that First Nations people continue to have, and the need for the current space age to listen to First Nations peoples and ensure these relationships spanning millennia are not disrupted.
Fun facts
Did you know the name Translunar was inspired by an actual, pre-existing word? Translunar means:
Beyond the moon.
Existing or situated beyond the (supposed) sphere of the moon; figurative heavenly or otherworldly in nature or origin.¹
The exploration of translunar space can bring benefits to humanity, since this part of space exists beyond the protective confines of the Earth’s geomagnetic field. As NASA tells us:
Operating in translunar space, NASA can research galactic cosmic radiation–potentially the most threatening element to humans exploring deep space–and develop mitigation strategies that may lead to medical advancements on Earth.
You may have also heard of a translunar injection; an orbital manoeuvre (or burn) that sets a spacecraft on a Moon-bound trajectory. This photo here from NASA is a view of the Earth taken from the Apollo 11 spacecraft after its translunar injection.
¹ Definition courtesy of the Oxford English Dictionary.