NASA’s Perseverance Rover: A Milestone in Planetary Science Amidst Decades of Exclusionary Space Exploration

The framing entirely excludes Indigenous perspectives on space exploration, despite the fact that NASA’s operations—including the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Pasadena—are situated on lands historically inhabited by the Tongva and other Indigenous peoples. Indigenous knowledge systems, such as those of the Navajo Nation, often view celestial bodies as sacred relatives rather than scientific curiosities. For instance, the Navajo *Diné* cosmology includes stories of the *Holy People* who traverse the sky, suggesting a relationship with space that is spiritual, ethical, and communal rather than extractive. Additionally, Indigenous critiques of space exploration highlight its colonial roots, such as the use of Indigenous land for military and scientific purposes without consent or compensation. Restoring this perspective would require centering Indigenous voices in discussions about the ethical and ecological implications of planetary exploration.