The Apollo 11 Moon landing was a remarkable achievement, shaping global politics and popular culture. In 2019, the 50th anniversary celebrations of the mission attracted fevered attention and unquestioned endorsement of NASA’s 1969 accomplishment. The anniversary saw politicians, scientists, and commentators argue for renewed investment in space exploration. Interestingly, few seemed to question the deeper ethical questions surrounding space travel.

Recent events including the relentless drought, catastrophic fires, freak storms and the ongoing pandemic prompt us to wonder if mankind might obtain greater benefit from focussing attention and both public and private funds on issues that are closer to home, that burn less fuel and attempt to address humanity’s expanding footprint.

In response to these questions and on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 mission, we coordinated a parallel alter-mission, transforming the historic Ready- Cut Cottage in Namadgi National Park into our own SpaceCraft, piloted by Gudgenauts Jack Nicol and Jill Pagan.

Over a period of 8 days 3 hours and 18 minutes - just like the NASA Astronauts 50 years prior - Jack and Jill bravely launched, left this atmosphere, took a Moon walk and came home. They collected artefacts that, together with carefully selected mission paraphernalia provide concrete data that is presented through an online portal to celebrate, question and parody space travel then and now.

In this paper and presentation I will reflect on the contribution the Gudgenby Mission makes to our understanding of mankind's predicament here, somewhere, between earth and the stars.

https://thegudgenbymission.space/