Wait, did we really just send an NFT to the Moon? I’m referring to WISe.ART’s “Galactic Christ,” now officially orbiting Earth. On the face of it, this looks like a huge, progressive move. Here, Mayte Spínola teases an incredible combination of art, science, and even transcendence. But should we be awed, or appalled?

Space Art Or Space Pollution?

Let's be real: is this art, or just expensive branding? Beyond geography, Spínola hopes her work will serve as a reminder of shared cultural heritage. WISeKey’s Carlos Moreira imagines space as an entirely new canvas on which humans will express themselves. Okay, sure. I can't shake the feeling that this is less about artistic expression and more about securing a headline, a really shiny headline. We’re referring to the same NFT market where Bored Apes were selling for millions before plummeting back to earth.

Each rocket launch leaves a carbon footprint. We're already choking our planet, and now we're sending digital trinkets into orbit? Is a temporary experience of “awe” really worth adding to the rising tide of space junk?

Unexpected connection: Remember when we were kids, and we'd write our names on trees? I thought that was pretty rad, cause it seemed like we were literally changing the course of the world. Now picture signing your name on each and every tree in the Amazon rainforest. That's what this feels like. A digital defacing of the cosmos.

Cultural Symbol Or Space Colonialism?

Let's not tiptoe around the religious symbolism. El Cristo Cósmico in Spanish is translated as The Galactic Christ. Cultural sensitivity and the potential for unintended offense are obvious concerns with launching religious art into space.

Might this be considered a kind of space colonialism? It truly seems like we are staking a digital claim to the final frontier and all while making it art first. Picture this, however, another culture launching a competing religious symbol into orbit. Where does it end?

It’s easy to dismiss this as political correctness run amok. Yet we need to be honest about how these moves can be perceived, especially given our troubling history of colonialism and resource extraction. And let's be honest: who's really benefiting from this? The artist? Maybe. WISeKey? Definitely.

This reminds me of the early days of the internet, when everyone was rushing to claim domain names, not necessarily to build something meaningful, but to stake their claim in this new digital territory. Perhaps we’re witnessing the same land grab that we once saw on Earth – just, this time, beyond the stars.

Secure NFT Or Security Risk?

WISeKey claims that their WISeSat platform is secure thanks to embedded hardware security modules and blockchain-based authentication. Nothing is truly unhackable. We need look no further than the many, many fails of touted secure systems being hacked.

Storing an NFT in space introduces some additional complexity. What happens if the satellite malfunctions? What if it's hacked? Who’s accountable for accessing or obtaining the data? Our digital identities are vulnerable enough already. In all seriousness, do we want to gamble with our entire digital lives circling the earth in low Earth orbit?

Now consider the real-world applications outside the artistic realm. WISeKey envisions secure, space-based digital asset management. Sounds great, right? Now, picture the ramifications if this technology gets into malicious hands. Smart secure digital asset management is revolutionary though. It quickly can become a danger if abused.

Unexpected connection: It's like building a fortress to protect a priceless artifact, but then leaving the key under the doormat. The greater the expanse of the system, the greater the risk of failure at every possible point.

So, is the “Galactic Christ” NFT the next great step for art, or a capitalist space land rush? My take? Well, yes and yes, but mostly the second—with a large helping of unintended consequences added in. Going ahead, let’s be cautious and critical and consider what our actions mean and what they imply. We just need to make sure that our drive for innovation doesn’t endanger our future, our environment, our society, or our national security.

Let’s not let the wonder of space distract us from the state of the world below.