New System: First-of-its-kind archaeological research conducted… in space

In the collective imagination, archaeology is a scientific discipline that we practice on Earth to search for and analyze traces of the more or less distant past. However, on August 7, 2024, a study published in the journal Plus one It highlights a new application of this particular field. Indeed, it was led by Dr. Justin St. B. Walsh of Chapman University (California, USA), a pioneer in… space archaeology.

What could be better than the International Space Station as a first field of study?

What is space archaeology?

If we go back to the definition of archaeology given by Inrap (National Institute for Preventive Archaeological Research), it is the science of “It studies civilizations based on their material cultures.In other words, it is the study of past civilizations using the artifacts of their time.

Although, as far as we know, no alien civilization has been discovered yet, a small fraction of the world's population has already lived in space. Yes, those are the approximately 300 people who have already set foot on the International Space Station. Since 1998, space has been continuously inhabited, and the orbiting laboratory, located at an altitude of about 400 kilometers, sees a constant flow of astronauts back and forth.

Therefore, thisMaterial cultures“From the International Space Station, which Dr. Walsh's team studied in a study published in PLOS ONE as part of the new discipline of space archaeology.

The International Space Station, an archaeological study site at its core

To understand the benefit of this specialization, you must take an interest in studying the environment of the International Space Station. The latter, quite logically, is completely different from the one we have on Earth for a very simple reason: microgravity.

On Earth we walk, and on the ISS astronauts float. Obviously, the infrastructures cannot be identical to those on Earth. This is where space archaeology comes into its full meaning. By studying these typical infrastructures, we can learn a lot about the lifestyle of astronauts on the ISS.

Of course, it won't be about discovering a new civilization, but we will now be able to get a more accurate view of what it is like to live in microgravity, in a confined space 400 kilometers from Earth.

Adapting scientific methods to space archaeology

Clearly, space archaeology, even if it is based on archaeology as we know it, cannot be practiced in the same way.

This is for practical reasons, but also for security reasons. In fact, when an archaeologist has to study an area to explain the passage or establishment of a past civilization, he has to go there. It's better. But at present, sending astronauts into space costs a lot of money, although initiatives are being taken and studied to try to reduce costs as much as possible.

So, there is no doubt that Dr. Walsh and his team will go to the International Space Station, due to lack of resources.

As for safety, it makes sense. An archaeologist, when studying a piece of land, excavates and digs into the ground to discover the remains of a studied past civilization. You will realize that drilling holes in the International Space Station is not really the best idea, unless you want to expose yourself to the vacuum of space.

In fact, to conduct its space archaeological study, Dr. Walsh’s team used very high-resolution images of the interior of the International Space Station. To improve the analysis of the infrastructures used, the scientists asked the crew, in January 2022, to photograph several locations for 60 consecutive days in order to report on the customs of the International Space Station.

Finally, regarding the way space archaeology works, we must also remember an important fact. Unlike “classical” archaeology, scientists can collect direct testimonies from the occupants of the International Space Station. This, you will agree, is more complicated when it comes to studying the Romans, Greeks or Egyptians, for example.

Results to be used in the future

The paper published in the journal Plus one So she delivered her findings regarding the archaeological study of the International Space Station. And what we can see is that even if the inhabitants of this space, which makes many people dream, are not necessarily the most “cautious” when it comes to using certain places.

Indeed, the study of spatial traces showed that certain areas, such as the area near the toilets, were not used in the way they were intended. Space archaeologists noted that the area in question served as a warehouse for hygiene supplies in particular. This, according to the team, indicates the unsuitability of the space in question in addressing issues of hygiene and privacy.

The same example is the accidental use of a space with a Velcro pad in the maintenance area of ​​the International Space Station. The latter, which is used for maintenance operations, also became a storage space for everything except things that could be used for ship maintenance. According to the researchers, 44% of the items stored on the Velcro pad were not supposed to be there.

Image source: NASA/ISSAP Study Area Square 03 – Blue, the velcro panel used in maintenance operations where many things are stored that are not really used for this purpose, such as poster pads or markers.

Finally, to aid their analyses, the new space archaeologists also relied on the writings of this “alien civilization.” In other words, they reviewed reports of astronaut activity.

In comments reported by IFLScience, the study authors, through Dr. Walsh, expressed the idea that this study and its results could be used in the design of future space stations: “This experiment is the first archaeological experiment to be conducted outside planet Earth. […] We show how the ISS crew uses different areas of the space station in ways that deviate from the design and mission plans. Future space station engineers can learn valuable lessons from this work.“

Remember that the International Space Station is due to be decommissioned in 2031, making way for other future space stations to be built in Earth and lunar orbit.

source : IFLScience / Conversation