The recent crash of an abandoned booster from a SpaceX rocket has unexpectedly benefited planetary science. The impact site offers scientists valuable data on high-speed impacts on the lunar surface. This incident marks another instance where humanity has placed a man-made object on the Moon. Such activities date back to the late 1950s. However, this recent impact raises significant questions about our approach to extraterrestrial environments.

Space exploration often echoes the justifications used for historical dispossession of Indigenous lands — an issue tied to settler colonialism. A foundation of this ideology is terra nullius, which refers to land perceived as unclaimed and open for possession. The Moon, similarly, is seen as an unexplored frontier. State and corporate entities deposit their remnants on the lunar surface, including flags, sensors, and abandoned rocket boosters, treating it as an expansive wilderness.

The shift from state-led space exploration to endeavors led by private billionaires like Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos presents challenges. Without stringent governance, private companies treat space as an arena for experimentation where guidelines seem optional. The absence of life forms on the Moon doesn’t absolve us from ethical conduct in space.

From the perspective of Niiyokamigaabaw Deondre Smiles, an Ojibwe scholar in environmental governance, the Moon should be seen as a significant relational presence. This worldview resonates with many Indigenous communities globally. Indigenous groups have voiced opposition to unethical practices in space, such as plans for commercial lunar burials or using the Moon for waste disposal. These objections stress that we must view the Moon not as a blank slate, but as a relative deserving respect.

Dismissing Indigenous concerns as “anti-science” is misleading. Collaborations between NASA and the Navajo Nation exemplify how science and relational ethics can coexist. The problem lies not with exploration but with stewardship.

Lessons from abandoned boosters hitting the Moon can be learned naturally from meteorites impacting it daily, without humanity adding waste. As we face environmental issues on Earth, space exploration must involve introspection. Transferring our environmental mistakes to the Moon is not progress but an extension of degradation.

Space exploration requires global accountability and ethical guidelines. We must prevent corporate interests from dominating cosmic governance. True advancement involves including marginalized voices, such as Indigenous communities and the Global South, to ensure space is a shared responsibility.

Niiyokamigaabaw Deondre Smiles, forthcoming Assistant Professor of Indigenous Studies at Bemidji State University, offers these insights. A member of the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe, their work explores Indigenous perspectives on human-environment interactions and space. They have contributed to discussions on colonialism and space through various publications, reflecting their expert perspective.