NASA’s Artemis success exposes geopolitical lunar race driven by extractive space economy and Cold War 2.0 tensions

Indigenous lunar cosmologies universally frame the Moon as a sacred, living entity rather than a resource frontier, with deep spiritual and ecological significance. These perspectives are systematically excluded from space policy debates, which prioritise technological and economic extraction over relational worldviews. For example, the Navajo Nation’s opposition to NASA’s Apollo missions due to the desecration of the Moon’s sacredness remains unaddressed in contemporary lunar governance. The erasure of these voices reflects a colonial mindset that treats celestial bodies as property rather than kin.

The current lunar race mirrors historical patterns of colonial resource extraction, from the Spanish conquest of the Americas to the 19th-century Scramble for Africa, where European powers justified exploitation through narratives of ‘civilisation’ and ‘progress.’ The Artemis Accords echo the 19th-century Berlin Conference, where colonial powers unilaterally divided Africa without African consent. The militarisation of space also echoes Cold War tensions, with the Outer Space Treaty of 1967 now under strain as nations develop anti-satellite weapons and lunar military bases.

Cross-cultural wisdom offers alternative frameworks for space governance, such as the Māori principle of kaitiakitanga (guardianship), which could inform sustainable lunar resource management. In African traditions, the concept of ‘Ubuntu in Space’—emphasising collective responsibility—contrasts with the Artemis Accords’ individualistic and extractive approach. Buddhist teachings on impermanence and interdependence challenge the Western paradigm of infinite growth and resource depletion, offering a philosophical basis for limiting lunar exploitation.

Scientifically, the Moon’s regolith contains helium-3, a potential fuel for fusion energy, and rare earth elements critical for technology, but extraction is currently infeasible due to technological and economic barriers. The scientific consensus warns that unregulated lunar mining could trigger a ‘tragedy of the cosmic commons,’ where short-term corporate gains lead to long-term environmental and geopolitical instability. NASA’s Artemis program is grounded in peer-reviewed research, but its militarisation and commercialisation aspects lack rigorous ethical and environmental impact assessments.

Artistic and spiritual traditions across cultures have long depicted the Moon as a symbol of cyclical time, feminine energy, and cosmic harmony, offering a counter-narrative to the technocratic vision of space exploration. Indigenous art, such as the Māori whakapapa (genealogical) carvings that trace human origins to celestial bodies, challenges the Western reduction of the Moon to a ‘stepping stone’ for Mars. Contemporary artists like Tavares Strachan, who explores Black cosmic identity, critique the racial and colonial dimensions of space exploration, highlighting the absence of diverse cultural narratives in mainstream depictions.

Future scenarios range from cooperative lunar governance under a strengthened Outer Space Treaty to a dystopian ‘Wild West’ of corporate and state-led extraction, with potential for armed conflict over lunar territory. Modelling by the Secure World Foundation suggests that unregulated competition could lead to a ‘Kessler Syndrome’-like scenario in lunar orbit, where debris from mining operations renders space travel hazardous. Alternative futures include Indigenous-led lunar sanctuaries and decolonial space policies that prioritise ecological and spiritual integrity over economic exploitation.

Marginalised voices—including Global South nations, Indigenous communities, and women in STEM—are systematically excluded from space policy debates despite bearing disproportionate burdens from space militarisation and climate change. African nations, for instance, have criticised the Artemis Accords for reinforcing colonial power structures, while Indigenous groups like the Lakota Sioux have protested NASA’s continued desecration of sacred sites. Women, who make up only 10% of space mission leadership, are rarely centred in narratives about lunar exploration, despite their critical role in advocating for ethical space governance.