Scientists put forward a proposal to preserve space heritage

New York (Best Hindu News): As the new space race intensifies, scientists have proposed planetary geoarchaeology, the study of how cultural and natural processes on Earth’s Moon, Mars and the Solar System may have altered, preserved or destroyed the physical record of space exploration. Until recently, we could consider the material left behind during the mid-20th century space race to be relatively safe, said lead author Justin Holcomb, a postdoctoral researcher with the Kansas Geological Survey based at the University of Kansas.

He added, however, that the present physical record on the Moon is fast becoming threatened with extinction if due attention is not given during the new space age. According to the Union of Concerned Scientists, since the advent of space exploration, humans have launched more than 6,700 satellites and spacecraft from countries around the world. The US alone has over 4,500 civilian, commercial, government and military satellites.

“We’re trying to draw attention to the preservation, study and documentation of space heritage, because I think that heritage on the Moon is at risk,” Holcomb said. The US is trying to land on the Moon again, and so is China, he said in the paper published in the journal Geoarchaeology. At least four countries have accidentally crashed on the Moon with us recently. Too many accidental accidents are happening and there is not much security right now.

How planetary geoarchaeologists determine whether an object is worth preserving is an open question. Holcomb said, “We have to make these decisions about archaeological sites today all the time. With limited resources to protect space heritage, Holcomb and his colleagues advocate developing systems to track materials left in space.

That said, we should start tracking our physical record as it continues to expand, not only to preserve the early record but also to examine our impact on the extraterrestrial environment. It is our job as anthropologists and archaeologists to bring heritage issues to the fore.

Beyond the Moon, Holcomb would like to see planetary geoarchaeology expand to the exploration of Mars and issues related to migration. He points to NASA’s Spirit rover as an example. The rover got stuck in Martian sand in 2008 and is now at risk of being completely covered by encroaching sand dunes. Holcomb believes that geoarchaeologists should be included in future NASA missions to ensure the protection of space heritage.