Short answers, pulled from the story.
Space archaeology is the research-based study of human-made items found in space, their interpretation as clues to humanity's experiences in space, and their preservation as cultural heritage. It covers launch complexes on Earth, orbital debris, satellites, and objects on other celestial bodies such as the Moon and Mars.
The World Monuments Fund added the Moon to its World Monuments Watch in January 2025, citing the cultural significance of the Apollo and other lunar landings. It was the first time the Watch had recognized heritage located off of the Earth.
Vanguard 1, launched in 1958, is the oldest human-made satellite still in orbit. It lost communication in 1964 but continues to circle Earth along with the upper stage of its launch rocket.
The primary governing law is the Outer Space Treaty of 1967, which states that space objects remain under the jurisdiction of their originating state. The later Moon Agreement of 1979 was not ratified by many spacefaring nations, leaving significant legal gaps in the protection of space sites.
The International Space Station Archaeological Project, known as ISSAP, is led by Justin Walsh and Alice Gorman and began in late 2015. It is the first large-scale archaeological investigation of a space habitat, funded by the Australian Research Council and connected to Chapman University.
SQuARE, the Sampling Quadrangle Assemblages Research Experiment, was initiated on the 14th of January 2022. NASA astronaut Kayla Barron marked six square sample areas aboard the ISS with adhesive tape, and the crew photographed them daily for sixty days. Results published in 2024 showed that designated workspaces were being repurposed in unplanned ways by the crew.