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Space Archaeology

A virtual archaeology of orbit — excavating the residue of half a century of human spaceflight as a way to ask what kind of inheritance we are building above the Earth.

Year2025
MediumVR · Interactive
DisciplineUser Experience
Pages28
Experience the VR →
Concept

"If we dream of future space travel, how can we ensure it doesn't repeat the mistakes we made on Earth? What responsibilities come with expanding into space?"

Background

A new chapter of orbit

Since the early 2000s, space travel has undergone a remarkable transformation — from a government-led endeavor limited to professional astronauts to an increasingly commercialized, democratized, and international pursuit.

What was once science fiction has gradually become reality. Private companies like SpaceX, Blue Origin, and Virgin Galactic have pioneered technologies that open space to civilians. A frontier where tourism, research, and global collaboration coexist.

Space travel context — astronaut reading 'Private Customized Space Travel'
Context · private space travel enters a new era · 2025
Timeline of Orbit

Eight moments in human spaceflight

1942

V-2 Rocket

The world's first guided ballistic missile.

1957

Laika

The space dog — the first living creature to orbit Earth.

1977

Voyager 1

The farthest human-made object from Earth.

1986

Challenger

Exploded 73 seconds after liftoff.

2001

Dennis Tito

First commercial space tourist.

2021

Chinese Space Station

Long-term human spaceflight.

2022

Private Crew

First fully private crew to the orbiting complex.

2025

Blue Origin

All-female suborbital flight.

The Residue

What we leave behind

Every dream of space arrives carrying a shadow. The objects, fragments, and forgotten gestures that orbit Earth — silent, fast, and unaccounted for.

01

Defunct Satellites

Source Abandoned or failed spacecraft.

Impact Crowded orbits raise collision risks and endanger active missions.

02

Lost Tools

Source Dropped by astronauts during extravehicular repairs.

Impact Small but fast debris that threatens spacecraft and the ISS.

03

Collision · Explosion

Source Fuel residue explosions or satellite collisions.

Impact Rapid debris multiplication; long-term threat to space operations.

04

Resource Ethics

Source Moon, Mars, and asteroid resource exploitation.

Impact Legal uncertainty, risk of conflict, and environmental harm.

Notable artifacts

  • Vanguard 1 — one of the oldest pieces of space debris still in orbit.
  • Jerry Linenger's glove — fell during a space station maintenance EVA.
  • Iridium 33 vs. Cosmos 2251 — collision producing ~2,300 traceable fragments.
  • Outer Space Treaty — the most fundamental legal document of space law.
Voices

Four voices on the future of space

Four interviewees, four perspectives. Their voices mapped the design space between curiosity, ethical concern, hope, and history.

User research — four personas Ella, Bill, Robert, Joy and their attitudes
User research · four personas · curiosity · safety · ethics · debris · 2025
Curiosity

Bill

"I've been fascinated by the universe since I was a kid. It's one of my biggest dreams. I would love to experience the feeling of weightlessness, seeing Earth from space — that would be life-changing."
Ethics

Joy

"To be honest, I feel pretty conflicted about space travel. I don't want us to do the same harm to the universe. Imagining the vastness of space makes me feel small but connected."
Safety

Robert

"If we keep sending stuff into space, I worry we might create new kinds of space pollution. I don't think I'd go unless it felt truly safe — space seems pretty risky to me."
Memory

Ella

"It's kind of amazing to think how a single object — like a glove — can become part of space history. We've made a mess on Earth, and now we're sending things into space. We might be exporting our bad habits."
Process

From inspiration to interaction

→ 01

Inspiration

Two reference projects: an immersive VR tour of Earth's fragile ecosystems, and a system collecting and repurposing space debris.

→ 02

Problem

Humanity's growing impact on space — debris, abandoned satellites — often goes unnoticed by the public.

→ 03

Experience

First-person VR journey that gradually zooms out, helping viewers realize our presence in the universe also leaves a footprint.

→ 04

Community

User sharing, ranking, friends mode, single mode — turning observation into collective reflection.

Inspirations and process diagram — AIRPANO, Clearspace Today, interconnected universe
Process · inspirations + project goals · 2025
Final Presentation

The experience, in flow

Six interactive moments inside the VR space — the player chooses an outfit, picks a destination, collects fragments of orbit, and shares discoveries with a small community.

VR experience flow — destination selection, collect fragments, community
VR experience flow · destinations, fragments, community · 2025
Step 1

Mode Selection

Friends mode or single mode. Begin the journey.

Step 2

Guide Introduction

A short orientation — the meaning of fragments revealed slowly.

Step 3

Destination Browse

Each destination offers a different visual atmosphere.

Step 4

Achievements

Badges marking what has been seen and gathered.

Step 5

Start Experience

Begin exploration. Drift. Look. Collect.

Step 6

Community

Share what was found. Compare paths. Reflect.

Reflection

A footprint above the Earth.

Space Archaeology is, in the end, less about debris than about memory — the strange way history continues to orbit us. To dream of future space travel is to inherit a record of everything we have lost in trying to leave.

— 2025 · Zhang Yichi

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