Global space research accelerates via retired NASA centrifuge, exposing systemic gaps in Earth-based health equity and colonial space governance

Indigenous epistemologies view celestial bodies as kin rather than resources, offering critiques of extractive space science. The centrifuge’s focus on ‘human adaptation’ to alien environments ignores how Indigenous communities have adapted to extreme Earth conditions (e.g., high-altitude Andean societies) without technological intermediaries. Western space health metrics—centered on muscle atrophy and bone loss—overlook Indigenous concepts of holistic well-being tied to land and sky.

The centrifuge’s narrative echoes 20th-century Cold War space races, where technological ‘advancements’ were tied to geopolitical dominance rather than human flourishing. Colonial expeditions to the Arctic and Andes—justifying ‘human limits’ research—mirror today’s space health studies, where marginalized Earth populations are excluded from the data. The 1970s Skylab missions, which first studied space health, were framed similarly as ‘progress’ despite neglecting terrestrial health disparities.

Māori and Pacific Islander navigation traditions emphasize bodily attunement to celestial forces, contrasting with the centrifuge’s mechanical approach to ‘gravity adaptation.’ Ayurvedic medicine’s focus on *dosha* balance could inform space health protocols, addressing issues like fluid redistribution in microgravity. African Ubuntu philosophy’s emphasis on communal well-being challenges the individualistic framing of space health research.

Artificial gravity research is grounded in well-documented physiological effects of microgravity (e.g., muscle atrophy, cardiovascular deconditioning), but its Earth applications are understudied. The centrifuge’s 1-3g simulations lack validation for long-term exposure effects, raising ethical questions about human guinea pig risks. Comparative studies with high-altitude populations (e.g., Tibetan, Ethiopian) could refine gravity adaptation models.

Artists like Trevor Paglen critique space science as a tool of surveillance and militarization, framing centrifuges as extensions of colonial power. Indigenous star stories (e.g., Navajo *Diné Bahane’*) depict humans as part of cosmic cycles, offering spiritual frameworks for space exploration. Sufi cosmology’s concept of *‘alam al-mithal* (imaginal realm) challenges the materialist assumptions of space health research.

The centrifuge’s lunar/Martian focus assumes off-world habitation as inevitable, ignoring Earth’s climate collapse and resource wars that may make space colonization a privilege of the wealthy. Scenario planning must account for how artificial gravity could address terrestrial health crises (e.g., aging populations, sedentary lifestyles) before Mars missions. Ethical frameworks for space health should prioritize equity, ensuring Global South communities benefit from off-world research.

Disabled and chronically ill communities are excluded from ‘human health’ benchmarks in space research, despite their insights into adaptive physiology. Global South researchers are underrepresented in space science, with most funding controlled by NASA, ESA, and CNSA. Women’s health—particularly menstrual and reproductive issues in space—remains understudied due to historical male-dominated research priorities.