1) The process by which corporations, governments and individuals promote the development of space technologies and programs to
mask extractive and exploitative
industrial practices, distract attention from social, environmental or economic problems, and/or to gain financial, military or political advantage.
2) Sending our dirty laundry to space.
cf: greenwashing
The race between Elon Musk, Richard Branson and Jeff
Bezos is at best a dick measuring contest and at
worst spacewashing of the first order - it leverages science fictions to hide corporate greed and military interests, whilst simultaneously distracting us from the imminent environmental collapse of the
Earth.