Before it comes down, what should be saved from the International Space Station?

National Air and Space Museum curators, NASA officials, an astronaut, an archeologist and others met for a series of panel discussions on preserving the ISS.

venerdì 22 maggio 2026 New tab

1,611 words~7 min read

Preserving ISS heritage

What went up cannot all come down (for museum display).

Smithsonian curator Teasel Muir-Harmony (at left) moderates a panel on "Why Save ISS Heritage" with Jacob Keaton, NASA ISS acting director; Gabriel Swiney, director of the Office of Space Commerce's Policy, Advocacy and International Division; and NASA astronaut Stephen Bowen on May 21, 2026, in Washington, DC.

AIAA/David Becker/PWHL

Humans do not just visit space; they live there, but a major part of that is coming to an end. The platform that made the longest continuous human presence in space possible is becoming history.

Before it comes down, what should be saved from the International Space Station?

Before it comes down, what should be saved from the International Space Station?

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