The first archaeological investigation was recently conducted on the International Space Station and the results obtained have allowed us to discover its real condition. Specifically, thanks to this work it was possible to discover that the International Space Stationvisited in 23 years by about 280 people, presents itself as a very rich cultural landscape where the crew usually creates its own “gravity” to replace that of the Earth. But not only that, the crew also does everything possible to adapt the spaces to their own needs.
Archaeology therefore offers the possibility of discovering how people manage to adapt to space flights of rather long duration. The experiment carried out by scientists at Chapman University in California involved the use of a standard archaeological method to be used in space and performed by astronauts from different countries.
In order to better understand the microsociety in this mini-world, the progetto denominato Space Station Archaeological Project with the aim of studying the use of the various spaces on the station. All this by dealing with specific materials such as photographs, works of art and religious icons created by members of the various crews.
The results obtained
Archaeologists asked astronauts to document six different positions of the station through daily photos for 60 days. The analysis carried out on these photographs led to the discovery of a large number of artifacts that were used for different purposes. But not only that, the results brought to light another detail, namely the difference between the intended use of some areas of the ISS and its actual use. For example, the area intended for equipment maintenance was used as a warehouse.
While the area near the latrine and the exercise equipment was used to store resealable bags, toiletries and even a rarely used computer. International Space Station Analysis From an archaeological point of view, it has therefore allowed experts to discover that the different areas of the station are used in different ways that do not correspond to the initial projects.
