A new space race is underway to lay claim to the cosmos for profit and power — even as our own world struggles to cope with the legacies of colonialism and capitalism. In light of humanity’s questionable strike rate for taking care of just one planet, what can history, ‘space junk’ and Antarctica tell us about developing a more considered approach to the heavens? And how can we ensure the wonders of the universe are more than an unregulated utopia for billionaire capitalists?