Mission Elena I

The Elena I mission is a trip to the moon starring women from the city of Medellín, Colombia, women who as children dreamed of becoming astronauts.

My grandfather always believed that the astronauts who traveled to outer space were men.  Men born and educated in the industrialized nations of planet Earth.  He never believed it possible that those astronauts could come from the periphery of the world, or that maybe they would be women.  His mind was filled with images of the footprints of Buzz Aldrin on the lunar regolith, the photo of Neil Armstrong with the flag of the United States, the silhouette in shadow of both of them over the craters of the Sea of Tranquility.  Elena I appeals to the strength of the imagination to transform the story of the trip to outer space, and specifically, to the moon, that was documented, narrated and lived by men.  How decisive would it have been had one or more women been part of the missions that traveled to our satellite?  To hear their voices in the recordings of the historical archives, see their photos on the covers of magazines and newspapers?  How would our imaginations have been formed?  Perhaps, we would have led more trips to outer space in movies, had starring roles in science fiction books, and had our footprints on the moon. Our position of power in outer space would be unrealized, with practices and policies that represent the humane aspect of women. The Elena I mission is a trip to the moon starring women from the city of Medellín, Colombia, women who as children dreamed of becoming astronauts.  I use archival resources produced in the NASA Apollo missions to challenge and reimagine a new narrative created from the periphery. I also work with the records created by the women who were part of the mission, and in so doing, provide a new voice to tell the story of the trip to the Moon.