Artemis II’s solar eclipse imagery reveals structural gaps in space-based observation systems and colonial narratives of exploration
Original framing: “First photos of solar eclipse from Artemis II crew look almost too good to be real” — The Verge
The original framing omits the long history of Indigenous astronomical knowledge (e.g., Māori lunar calendars, Navajo star stories) that contextualize lunar observations, the role of Global South observatories in mitigating Northern bias, and the militarization of space (e.g., the U.S. Space Force’s integration with Artemis). It also ignores the economic exploitation embedded in space tourism (e.g., Blue Origin’s luxury orbital flights) and the environmental costs of rocket launches (e.g., black carbon emissions from kerosene-fueled engines). Historical parallels to 19th-century colonial expeditions—where 'discovery' justified resource extraction—are erased.
Low structural omission detected in mainstream coverage.
The narrative is produced by *The Verge*, a tech-focused outlet aligned with Silicon Valley’s frontier mythology, for an audience invested in elite spacefaring narratives. It serves the interests of NASA and its corporate partners (e.g., Lockheed Martin, SpaceX) by framing space exploration as a neutral, apolitical endeavor while obscuring the colonial histories of astronomy (e.g., the displacement of Indigenous stargazers) and the geopolitical competition driving Artemis. The 'too good to be real' framing subtly legitimizes NASA’s budgetary claims and deflects criticism of its $93B program by emphasizing spectacle over scrutiny.
The Artemis II eclipse photos echo 19th-century expeditions like the *Transit of Venus* missions, where colonial powers used celestial events to assert scientific superiority while exploiting local labor and knowledge. NASA’s imaging calibration issues reflect persistent gaps in lunar topography data, a problem first identified during the Apollo era’s flawed laser ranging experiments. The 'crisp but uneven edges' of the Moon’s shadow parallel the 1970s *Lunar Orbiter* images, which were doctored to hide technical flaws—suggesting a pattern of aesthetic over accuracy in space imagery.
The Artemis II eclipse photos exemplify how space exploration narratives are weaponized to reinforce Western technological exceptionalism while obscuring the colonial, militarized, and extractive logics underpinning modern astronomy.