Experts Use Archaeological Techniques to Study How Astronauts Utilize Spaces on the ISS – A Strange Artificial Environment.
The International Space Station (ISS) operates in space. (Photo: Paopano).
Since its launch in 1998, over 270 people from 23 countries have lived on the International Space Station (ISS). This strange artificial environment – isolated, with limited space and influenced by microgravity – is unlike anything humans have evolved to experience. To understand the essence of this “microsociety in a miniature world”, expert Justin St. P. Walsh from Chapman University and colleagues conducted the International Space Station Archaeological Project, as reported by IFL Science on August 7. The project employs an archaeological framework to study how astronauts utilize various areas of the station, treating their belongings as artifacts. Additionally, the research team aims to develop archaeological techniques that can be applied to study remote, harsh, or dangerous environments.
Their first direct work on the ISS, which took place in 2022, involved adapting a traditional archaeological technique known as “shovel test pits”. With this technique, archaeologists dig small holes at regular intervals in a location to assess the distribution of artifacts. This helps them determine which areas require more focused excavation.
However, excavating on the ISS is not practical. Therefore, archaeologists enlisted the crew to monitor six areas on the station and photograph each area daily for 60 days. Results from the study of two areas were published in the journal PLOS One on August 7.
A portion of the maintenance area on the right side, one of the sample areas chosen for the archaeological project on the ISS. (Photo: NASA/ISSAP/Justin St. P. Walsh/PLOS One).
The analysis of the photographs from both areas revealed 5,438 instances of “artifacts” used for various purposes, including writing tools, notepads, and augmented reality headsets.
The study also indicated a discrepancy between the intended and actual use of some areas on the ISS. For example, the area near the exercise equipment and restroom was utilized for storing personal hygiene items, bags, and an underused computer. The equipment maintenance area primarily served as storage, with nearly no maintenance activities occurring there.
This new research illustrates how archaeological techniques can be adapted to study remote locations such as the ISS, while also providing valuable insights for designers of future space missions.
“This is the first archaeological project to take place outside of Earth. By applying a very traditional method to sample a site for an entirely new archaeological context, we demonstrate how the crew uses some areas of the ISS differently from the original design. Architects and planners for future space stations can draw valuable lessons from this study,” the research team stated.
