New York: Scientists have proposed planetary geoarchaeology as a field of study to examine how cultural and natural processes on the moon, Mars, and across the solar system may be modifying, preserving, or destroying the material record of space exploration.
“Until recently, we might consider the material left behind during the space race of the mid-20th century as relatively safe,” said lead author Justin Holcomb, postdoctoral researcher at the Kansas Geological Survey, based at the University of Kansas.
“However, the material record that currently exists on the Moon is rapidly becoming at risk of being destroyed if proper attention isn’t paid during the new space era,” he added
According to the Union of Concerned Scientists, since the beginning of space exploration, humans have launched over 6,700 satellites and spacecraft from countries throughout the globe.
The US alone has more than 4,500 civil, business, government, and military satellites.
“We’re trying to draw attention to the preservation, study and documentation of space heritage because I do think there’s a risk to this heritage on the moon,” Holcomb said.
“The US is trying to get boots on the Moon again, and China is as well. We’ve already had at least four countries accidentally crash into the moon recently. There are a lot of accidental crashes and not a lot of protection right now,” he said, in the paper published in the journal Geoarchaeology.
It is not clear how planetary geoarchaeologists will decide if something is worth preserving.
“We have to make those decisions all the time with archaeological sites today,” Holcomb said.
With resources for protecting space heritage limited, Holcomb and his colleagues advocate for developing systems to track materials left in space.
“We should begin tracking our material record as it continues to expand, both to preserve the earliest record but also to keep a check on our impact on extraterrestrial environments,” he said. “It’s our job as anthropologists and archaeologists to bring issues of heritage to the forefront.”
Beyond the moon, Holcomb wants to see planetary geoarchaeology extend to issues related to exploration and migration to Mars. As example, he uses the Spirit Rover from NASA. The rover got stuck in the sand on Mars in 2008, and now the rising dunes risk to cover it entirely.
Holcomb believes that future NASA missions should include geoarchaeologists to ensure the protection and security of space heritage.—Inputs from Agencies
