The Free Luna Movement was founded in 2081 by , her student , and others. The movement did not attract attention until several years later, but, according to one survey, by 2095 most Lunar colonists sympathized with the goals of the movement, even if they were not members.
The movement's first great success came in 2097 when a strike they organized set the stage for the . The collapse of the negotiations initially appeared to be a setback, but in the long run it proved to be a public relations windfall for the movement. It solidified their support among Lunar colonists and won them new allies on Earth. This support translated into a virtually unconditional grant of independence for the Lunar colony, after the Second Lunar Independence Negotiations, in 2102. This grant included a transfer of ownership of most of the infrastructure (including the intracolony transit system and several Lunar spaceports) to the new Lunar government.
The influence of the movement did not end with the grant of Lunar independence, however. The support the movement gathered in its struggle translated into the formation of the Lunar party in late 2102. This party was a broad coalition of diverse viewpoints that was willing to follow the lead of the Lunar government in many Earth-centered issues. The Lunar party still exists today, even if its influence is not as strong as it has been in the past.