Imagine a home suspended in the void of space, where humans have lived continuously for 25 years. This is the International Space Station (ISS), a marvel of modern engineering and a testament to international cooperation. But beyond its scientific achievements, the ISS holds a hidden story—one that reveals surprising insights into human culture and our future in space. And this is the part most people miss: the ISS is not just a laboratory; it’s a living, evolving artifact, ripe for archaeological exploration.
The ISS, launched in 1998 and first inhabited in 2000, is the largest, most complex, and most expensive spacecraft ever built. It’s a symbol of what humanity can achieve when nations work together. By November 2025, it will have been home to over 290 people from 26 countries, with crews ranging from two to 13 individuals at any given time. More than 40% of all humans who have ventured into space have visited the ISS, making it a hub of human activity beyond Earth. Over nearly 127 person-years, astronauts have conducted thousands of experiments across nearly 200 scientific facilities, studying everything from astrophysics to plant growth. It even birthed the phenomenon of space tourism.
But here’s where it gets controversial: the ISS isn’t the sleek, futuristic vessel we often imagine from science fiction. It’s cluttered with cables, equipment juts into corridors, and there’s no shower or proper kitchen. It lacks a communal space for downtime, yet it remains a visionary project—a first step toward humanity’s permanent presence in space.
Enter space archaeology, a field that’s turning heads. November 2025 also marks the 10th anniversary of the International Space Station Archaeological Project, led by my team. The ISS’s long history of habitation makes it a perfect subject for archaeologists like us, who study human behavior through material culture. We realized there was a gap in understanding the social and cultural aspects of life in space—something critical for future missions, like the planned three-year journeys to Mars.
While interviews with astronauts provide valuable insights, they’re not the whole story. Astronauts, often focused on their next mission, may not share everything. That’s where archaeology comes in. By analyzing the thousands of photos taken by crews and published by NASA, we’ve tracked how people and objects move within the station, mapping behaviors and relationships over time. In 2022, we even conducted the first off-Earth archaeological fieldwork, asking the crew to document specific locations daily for two months.
What did we find? The ISS crew is more like us than you’d think. They decorate walls with photos, memorabilia, and religious items, just as we personalize our homes. They celebrate birthdays with cakes and enjoy snacks sent from Earth. Yet, their lives are highly structured, governed by Mission Control’s procedures and strict inventories. Despite this, they find ways to adapt, repurposing spaces and improvising solutions for everyday needs—like storing toiletry kits in areas not originally designed for them.
Interestingly, the ISS is also a microcosm of national interests. Most modules are controlled by individual space agencies, reflecting the priorities of their respective countries. While this makes sense for accountability, it raises questions about efficiency in such a costly endeavor. Could a more unified approach work better? It’s a debate worth having.
Our research has practical applications too. By tracking changes in scientific activity and equipment use, we’ve helped companies designing commercial space stations understand what future crews will need. This is archaeology in action, solving contemporary problems and shaping the future of space exploration.
But the implications go beyond space. Archaeology of the contemporary world, whether studying migration, ethnonationalism, or ecological issues, can improve lives here on Earth. By blending traditional archaeology with modern challenges, we’re charting a new path for our discipline—one that bridges the past and the future.
So, what does the ISS reveal about us? It shows that even in the most high-tech environments, humans crave familiarity, creativity, and connection. It challenges us to think critically about how we design and manage shared spaces, whether on Earth or in orbit. Is the ISS a model for future space habitats, or does it highlight the limitations of our current approach? What would you change if you were designing the next space station? Let’s start the conversation—the future of space exploration depends on it.
