Cosmic archaeology: Unearthing human culture on the ISS

Archeology does not usually bring to mind astronomy and astronautics, although these fields of science can often be found side by side in college course catalogs. On the surface, there seems to be no connection between exploring human history and space. However, science surprises us.

Although archeology is considered the study of the distant past, it is also perfectly suited for research on how humans adapt to longer stays in space, which naturally involves limited living space. The first cosmic excavations on the International Space Station (ISS) were recently conducted within the Sampling Quadrangle Assemblages Research Experiment (SQuARE), which applied archeological research methodology in space. Essentially, astronauts were asked to conduct part of the research for archeologists.

The research team analyzed photos and artworks made by ISS crew members from different countries, their religious items, and the types of cargo returning from the station to Earth. Historical NASA photo archives were also used to analyze relationships between members of various ISS crews. Additionally, simple technological solutions, like Velcro straps and resealable plastic bags, that astronauts commonly use to simulate Earth’s gravity in the station's microgravity environment were studied.

These items mainly serve to safely store objects in place so they do not drift freely aboard the ISS. Using standard archeological procedures, scholars also examine astronauts' practices regarding the use of various objects and tools on the station.

To understand this, we should know what typical archeological work looks like. On Earth, after identifying a new archeological site (a place with signs of past human presence), a grid of three-foot squares is marked, some of which are then excavated as so-called test sites. These give archeologists an overall picture of the site—small excavations allow for its characterization, including dating, cultural affiliation, and functions.

In January 2022, the archeological research team asked the ISS crew to designate five approximately square areas on the station. The squares included work, learning, exercise, and relaxation zones. The crew also selected a sixth area based on their idea of what might be interesting to observe. For 60 days, astronauts photographed each square daily to keep track of the objects within its boundaries. The photos show the richness of the cultural landscape of the space station while also revealing how true life in space differs vastly from most depictions in films and science fiction literature.

The first research showed that the ISS is a rich cultural environment where the crew creates procedures to replace Earth's gravity and successfully adapts the station’s module spaces to their current needs. Moreover, the space station is cluttered, chaotic, and even cramped and dirty. Establishing clear boundaries between areas where the crew works and those used for rest is difficult. Privacy is almost nonexistent here.

The results from analyzing the first two squares are already available. One was located in the American Node 2 module, which houses crew cabins and connections to European and Japanese research laboratories. Ships often dock here. An important target for research was the wall with a maintenance work area (MWA). There, a blue metal panel with 40 Velcro straps is located, and below it, a table for repairing equipment and conducting experiments.

Interestingly, NASA intended to use this area for maintenance work, but almost no such activities were found here, only a handful of scientific activities. In fact, for 50 out of the 60 days of the experiment, this square was mainly used to store items that might not have been used there. The number of Velcro straps simply makes this place ideal for ad-hoc storage.

Another square studied so far is located in the US Node 3 module, which includes exercise equipment and a bathroom. It also leads to the crew’s favorite part of the station, the seven-sided "cupola," from which they can observe, for example, Earth. This area lacked a defined function and was used for conducting scientific experiments and storing resealable bags and... a laptop.

Interestingly, for 52 days of the SQuARE mission, it also served as a storage space where crew members stored their toiletry kits. According to the study's authors, storing cosmetics near the bathroom and exercise devices (which every astronaut is obliged to use every day) makes sense, but it is also a publicly accessible space, indicating possible deficiencies in hygiene and privacy maintenance on the ISS.

Another conclusion from the research is the importance of Velcro limitations (and other objects used to hold items in place in the absence of gravity). Objects used to secure items on the ISS create an area of artificial gravity. Analysis shows how much of this "gravity" is available to the crew in the researched locations.

The main purpose of the space station is scientific work, which requires the placement and movement of many objects. Analyses of the first researched square show how a place initially intended for maintenance was transformed into a space for various objects used on the station. The results suggest that designers of future space stations, including commercial ones, will need to prioritize storage solutions more highly.

Observations from the second researched square indicate that ISS residents are willing to occupy public space for storing private items. This reflects, on one hand, the station's shortage of personal space and, on the other hand, human creativity in adapting the available space to individual needs.

The SQuARE experiment is still ongoing. Current plans are to deorbit the International Space Station in 2031, making this experiment potentially the only opportunity to gather such archeological data. The National Laboratory sponsors the research for the International Space Station.

The International Space Station can be seen as one of the first permanent human settlements in space. Over the past 23 years, nearly 280 people have visited it. It is worth noting that previously, the Soviet space station MIR (1986-2001, a total of 96 cosmonauts) and the American Skylab (1973-1979, about ten astronauts) orbited Earth. Since 2021, the Chinese orbital station Tiangong has also been circling Earth.

It is worth adding, according to Wikipedia, that archeology is a science aimed at reconstructing the socio-cultural past of humans based on archeological sources found in the ground, on land, or underwater, which are material remnants of human activity. These include products of human handiwork and traces of human impact on the natural environment. In this context, research into the recent past of human behavior and tools used on the ISS perfectly fits into this field, and the definition of archeology could potentially be expanded to include new research areas: space and celestial bodies. Who knows, maybe we will see times when this science will also study the first human settlements on the Moon and Mars.