Dr Space Junk vs The Universe: Archaeology and the Future

by Alice Gorman, Adam Roberts (Foreword)

A pioneering space archaeologist explores artifacts left behind in space and on Earth, from moon dust to Elon Musk's red sports car.Alice Gorman is a space archaeologist: she examines the artifacts of human encounters with space. These objects, left behind on Earth and in space, can be massive (dead satellites in eternal orbit) or tiny (discarded zip ties around a defunct space antenna). They can be bold (an American flag on the moon) or hopeful (messages from Earth sent into deep space). They raise interesting questions: Why did Elon Musk feel compelled to send a red Tesla into space? What accounts for the multiple rocket-themed playgrounds constructed after the Russians launched Sputnik? Gorman--affectionately known as "Dr Space Junk" --takes readers on a journey through the solar system and beyond, deploying space artifacts, historical explorations, and even the occasional cocktail recipe in search of the ways that we make space meaningful.

Engaging and erudite, Gorman recounts her background as a (nonspace) archaeologist and how she became interested in space artifacts. She shows us her own piece of space junk: a fragment of the fuel tank insulation from Skylab, the NASA spacecraft that crash-landed in Western Australia in 1979. She explains that the conventional view of the space race as "the triumph of the white, male American astronaut" seems inadequate; what really interests her, she says, is how everyday people engage with space. To an archaeologist, objects from the past are significant because they remind us of what we might want to hold on to in the future.

Genres: Nonfiction, Science, Space, History, Audiobook, Archaeology, Astronomy

304 pages, Paperback

First published April 30, 2019

About the author

Alice Gorman is an internationally recognised leader in the field of space archaeology and author of the award-winning book Dr Space Junk vs the Universe: Archaeology and the Future (MIT Press, 2019). Her research focuses on the archaeology and heritage of space exploration, including space junk, planetary landing sites, off-earth mining, and space habitats. She is an Associate Professor at Flinders University and a heritage consultant with over 30 years’ experience working with Indigenous communities in Australia. Gorman is also a Vice-Chair of the Global Expert Group on Sustainable Lunar Activities, a Senior Fellow of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, and an expert member of the ICOMOS International Scientific Committee for Aerospace Heritage. In 2024, she was selected as one of the Explorer’s Club 50: ‘50 people changing the world that the world needs to know about’. She is a regular contributor to national and international space policy, particularly focusing on issues of equity, social justice and rights of nature. She is a former mentor in the UN Office of Outer Space Affairs Space4Women programme. She was part of a collective that drafted the first Declaration of the Rights of the Moon and also contributed to the Vancouver Recommendations on Space Mining. Asteroid 551014 Gorman is named after her in recognition of her work in establishing space archaeology. In 2017 she won the Bragg UNSW Press Prize for Science Writing. Her book Dr Space Junk vs the Universe was shortlisted for the Queensland Literary Awards, NSW Premier's Awards, and Adelaide Festival Literary Awards, and won the Mark and Evette Moral NIB People's Choice Award in 2019.

Reviews

[Tara van Beurden · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really don't know what this book was trying to be. I thought it would be an interesting perspective of the exploration of space - perhaps tell the story of some of the space junk floating in orbit, maybe explain how we might recover and analyse this. Maybe talk about sites on Earth, like Cape Kennedy for example. Instead it comes across a self indulgent rambling about the author's life with a tiny amount of space stuff thrown in, a lot of philosophising on stuff that felt completely unrelated to each other. There was no thread that tied chapters together, and sometimes within a chapter I had no idea what point the author was trying to make. I also noted that a lot of the references were to the author's own articles, which leant itself to a feeling that this book existed as self indulgence aimed at getting the author a book publishing credit. It gets two stars because there were a few random interesting items that had promise, including the rocket parks, and stuff about naming of planets (before it veered off into some weird discussion about Aboriginal Australians owning parts of planets named after their mythology - um what?). But then there's a whole section on cable ties that made me want to shoot myself. This book put me behind in my reading because I honestly didn't want to keep going with all the rambling nonsense. Barely belongs in the space category, and certainly not recommended unless you are a diehard lover of...archaeology philosophy, I guess...

[Nathan Woolford · Rating 5 out of 5]

When Dr Space Junk looks up at the night sky she sees something wondrous, and thankfully she’s shared some of what she sees in Dr Space Junk vs The Universe. One of the best science books I’ve read in a very long time, not just because of the amount of remarkable things she reveals, or the insights she brings, but because it is so beautifully written. I could also have written one of the best books I’ve read on what it means to be human, the interface of technology, us, and the universe, and how we preserve, protect and understand this space age archaeological record. Loved it immensely.

I was lent an advance copy to read by the author. As your archaeologist I advise you to read this book, I’m sure you’ll dig it.

[Panzagl · Rating 2 out of 5]

First half was good, second half kind of wandered more into rhetoric and meta-analysis and was not all that interesting. If a book is a conversation with the author, by the second half you're just saying 'uh-huh' and hoping to not trigger a diatribe on how the emotional concept of gravity is just as valid as the physical model.

I also am having a hard time figuring out whether it's more criminal to release a space exploration book without pictures and diagrams or to release an archaeology book without picture and diagrams, but this book is both and has neither pictures or diagrams. Maybe I'd appreciate some of the diversions into aboriginal intellectual property theory if there were at least some pictures of the artifacts.

[Lynley Wallis · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a ground breaking seminal book that clearly establishes Dr Gorman as a leading expert in the newly emerging field of space archaeology. With a strong feminist slant (the poems that start each chapter were all written by women), and drawing from a wide range of disciplines, Gorman weaves together a highly informative volume on why we should all care about what's floating around in space above our heads.

[Rrrrrron · Rating 2 out of 5]

Dull. Slow. Too much filler about a childhood which sounded very dull. Not enough content. Quit after 1 hour into audiobook. Going to try Archaeology from Space next.

[Nancy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Finished: 12.11.2019
Genre: non-fiction
Rating: D-
Author:  Alice Gorman
Title: Dr. Space Junk vs The Universe: Archaeology in the Future
Published: 2019
Trivia: shortlist for the 2019 Mark and Evette Moran Literary Award
Trivia: shortlist for the 2019 Queensland Literary Awards
#NonFicNov19


Conclusion:
Book was like a dog’s breakfast....a failed culinary effort. It felt confused, slapdash, unfocused, rambling and prolific repetition. I started the book with high hopes...but with each chapter I struggled to get through the next few pages. All that was left was to skim and look away. Dr Space Junk vs The Universe? It was a junk heap of words. #Bah.......a dull book which even drink can't enliven much.

[Swapy · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book falsely and factually incorrectly defame developing countries like India for destroying orbital tourist industry on pg 130. As a reader it decimates my trust towards any factual content presented in this book. Also, author is very keen to glorify west world responsible narrative while giving negative approach non west countries. Thank God I got it from book clearance section I don't have to pay the full amt. It's worthless to spend on this junk as this book's content don't educate but creates more doubts on the facts illustrated. Utter Rubbish I can't even quote and trust the take aways if debating with space lover intellectual.

[Jeremy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved this book most when it foregrounded archaeology. In particular, the extended sections on Australian launch sites, their relation to the aboriginal land on which they were built, and the investigation into cable ties. I learned new things about satellites and the way they may be weathering space, and about the particular properties and challenges of lunar dust. Recommended.

[Rebecca · Rating 3 out of 5]

A generous 2.5. Space archeology is an interesting & legitimate subject, most of my objections are with the author.
She refers to stories that have been debunked as urban legends & others that I cannot find any references for. She also speaks for aboriginal people’s rather than including their perspectives directly. And she “doesn’t know” the answer to quite a few things, making no plan to find out, which further reduces her credibility.
Where the book is strong is on Australian space history & early rockets, although I didn’t trust the author’s knowledge.
An alternative on space, & much stronger on space junk, is “The Future of Geography” by Tim Marshall.

[Ietrio · Rating 1 out of 5]

Back in 1907 the future was clear: Victorian dress and a backpack helicopter. Back in 1966 the writers were talking about planets communicating though some sort of telegraph, maybe a voice feature. They were not getting latency, but never mind, the hyperspace was the hip thing so the phone call would have as much latency as between Paris and London. Here's another **** mind talking fairy tales. The only difference is that the taxpayer is paying for Gorman's house.

[Debbie · Rating 2 out of 5]

After hearing Gorman talk about space colonialism on a podcast, I was very excited to read this! I love autobiographies, cultural analysis and history but the splattering of all these things, without any clear structure or build up to a central argument made for a slow read. I did enjoy her uniquely Australian and First Nations perspective, and there were many points of interest: the space age, mythology of the moon and how space exploration permeated everyday culture.

[Jim Fettes · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent tour through our solar system and the way humans and space intersect. Gorman speaks in a simple, approachable way that gives great insight and humour to the incomprehensible outer reaches of our existence. Highly recommended.

[Tracy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well written, well interesting and just well done. I learnt lots along the way, I went looking for further information about many of the objects, events and people discussed in this book.
I have always loved the idea of space travel, and have a love of Sci fi but when reading this book I am drawn to ask the question.... Should this species be out there cluttering up the moons, atmosphere and planets, leaving debris possibly clogging the atmosphere impacting all future space travel?
There is good reason to see this space age as the ongoing colonisation of lands now moving into space. I mean, why is there a car floating up there - would it be acceptable to have something similar floating in the ocean?

[Xathras · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book just didn't resonate with me. It's an eclectic mix of history, science, and philosophy - all with an Australian flavour to it - that didn't come together to form a coherent whole. I enjoyed the historical space topics, but not much else unfortunately.

[Michelle Heinrich · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Different futures can't be imagined without under- standing the diversity of the past. There are so many ways of connecting to space, and the stories we tell about space make a difference.”
- Alice Gorman, “Dr Space Junk vs The Universe”

I’ll admit it, at first I was like, “What the hell is ‘space archeology?’ Is it even a thing. But it is. And it’s really interesting. Essentially, archeology is about objects with heritage. Heritage is about things from the past that have resonance and meaning to people of the present - and presumably of the future. Things (not just objects, but certainly objects) that deserve preservation, or at least consideration thereof. And the objects of space are no different, for they have meaning beyond the scientific. In fact, they say a lot about the society that made them.

Dr. Gorman’s fascinating book, “Dr Space Junk vs The Universe” covers a wide variety of topics. Touching on everything from poetry to Australian Aboriginal society to moon shadows to what death might look like in space to her own childhood,” Gorman takes us through an amazing journey of meaning making.

Did you know that there is over 6,000 tons of human-made material orbiting the earth? From defunct, homemade satellites to modern space stations currently in use, this stuff has meaning and story. And Dr Gorman shares many of these tales.

Dr. Gorman also discusses meaning and cultural significance around the ideas of space. (Who owns it? Is it inherently colonialist to explore it? What does it represent for society?)

In her chapter on the moon she wrote about a late-19th-Century study by American psychologist, G Stanley Hall, who interviewed 423 children - mostly girls between the ages of 5 and 18 - about the moon. In looking back on the data, it becomes clear that the children’s cosmologies were the dominated by magic, wonder, and story, rather than science. Many described an edible moon, often made of cheese or cream or cake. Even more spoke of the Man or Woman in the Moon and how they were friends with them. Some described talking to the moon, telling it secrets, and the feeling that the moon watched and understood them. Most all said they loved the moon and felt energized by the moonlight, wanting to run, wander, and play. Similar studies conducted after the 1969 moon landing yield different results with the vast majority of kids able to identify that the moon a satellite of earth and a basic understanding of the phases and revolution.

Space becomes both science and story - and the two are intertwined. There’s much to learn and much to unpack in this engrossing study of space junk humans who made it. Yes, it’s a book about space archaeology, but it’s about a whole lot more.

[Artur Coelho · Rating 4 out of 5]

Arqueologia espacial parece um paradoxo. Não parece óbvia a ligação entre a busca e estudo de artefactos milenares e o estatuto eternamente futurista da exploração espacial. E, no entanto, a era espacial já tem uma história, que se constrói a partir da evolução científica e tecnológica, dos projetos concretizados e os que não saíram do papel, das iniciativas políticas, dos impactos sociais. Nisto, também se contam os artefactos - satélites, sondas, restos de lançadores, sistemas de rastreamento, bases de lançamento, infraestruturas de apoio. É aqui que entra o trabalho de arqueologia espacial, no recuperar e documentar espaços terrestres outrora dedicados ao espaço, ou recordar os artefactos que colocámos em órbita, na Lua, nos planetas ou que se deslocam para lá do sistema solar.

Este livro é um misto de análise histórica com a experiência pessoal da autora, uma arqueóloga que conseguiu transmutar o seu amor pela astronomia através da arqueologia espacial. Gorman recorda-nos alguns dos marcos da era espacial através da história dos seus artefactos. É também um livro muito sensível a questões sociais, sendo mulher e australiana, Gorman coloca fortes críticas ao masculinismo pervasivo na ciência e tecnologia (o porquê de se ter tornado arqueóloga e não astrofísica mostra bem isso), bem como recupera a herança aborígene dos povos autóctones da Austrália, e a sua relação com a exploração espacial. O que repassa no livro é um enorme fascínio pelo passado e futuro da exploração espacial, através do olhar de uma mulher que está tão à vontade com vestígios milenares como com restos recentes do futurismo em órbita.

[Kim · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is my book for #Popsugar prompt 20 - Set in space
Everything Dr Space Junkie is enthralled by is set in space - and she shares some of that delight with us, the readers.
This book, and her ideas, are an interesting take on both space junk and archaeology. I loved her uncovering and exploration of the cultural importance of the bits and pieces left in space - the space junk.
I also thoroughly enjoyed the tangential information Dr Gorman provided, rooting space travel and exploration in earth culture.
An enjoyable and interesting non-fiction book that looks at a common phenomenon from a new angle.

[Taylor Atkinson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This covers a wide range of topics. Part bathroom trivia read, part educational, and part speculative, I liked that Dr. Gorman approached the topic of space archeology with historical, contemporary, and future-focused frameworks.

It illustrated, with concrete examples, how the way we think of archeology now matters to what humanity has sent into space now and ways what we send up might matter in the future.

I especially enjoyed the word association exercises she uses with her students to showcase ways we can use language to create new words and then link to thinking through future problems (and solutions) that we might face as a society.

[Valentine · Rating 4 out of 5]

I heard Dr Gorman speak in 2017 so was excited to learn of her new book. I found it a thoroughly good read, though I am a bit biased as an Australia-dweller with a humanities background who's fascinated by how we can live in harmony with our STEM-mier peers.

I get that as an archaeologist, the whole of human culture is wide open to be connected with our activity in space, but some things felt like a bit of a stretch (i.e. the sputnik-shaped foods and rocket playgrounds). Still, it's a minor quibble as the book on the whole is great. To the stars!

[Shrike58 · Rating 3 out of 5]

File under: Not bad, not great. This book is equal parts life in science, field work, and prognostication, and it feels like two or three strong essays are struggling to get out; as opposed to being a collection of bullet points orbiting a gravity well. I do come away from this book feeling like I'd enjoy going drinking with Dr. Gorman, but there had to be a better way to organize this work. Some of the semi-humorous asides were of "dad joke" levels of groan-worthiness, whereas I would have liked more actual archeology theory.

[Hruotland · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cable ties and odd musing about grapefruits.
What?
I was expecting more talk about, yu know, space junk.
Graveyard orbits, NaK from Soviet reactors, clumps of needles, that kind of thing. Sure, there was some of that, but i think yu could find enuf stories there for a whole book.

[sardonic · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fresh and crucial perspective on space exploration and industry. I especially appreciate Dr. Gorman's illustrative descriptions of extraterrestrial environments and interstellar space. I loved the chapter on the moon and getting a perspective on the lunar environment that only an archaeologist could provide. I do think the sociopolitical commentary could/should have been made sharper but that's not what you should expect from this book.

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very slow read for me especially considering how much I love space. That being said: it covers topics that I wasn't expecting (space themed cocktails from the 60s, shadows, zip ties, etc.) and I very much appreciated the non-US perspective and the discussions of Indigenous (especially Australian Aboriginal) cultures and space.

[Chris · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very interesting to hear about space history from a non-USA country. I am also very sad to think of the moon missions being 50 years old. Where is my space future i was promised by now. There are tons of issues about preserving space history this book brings up. Unfortunately space is too political to make things easy.

[Lee Belbin · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting slant on space exploration via archaeology. It was informative, well-written, well-researched and a good length. The few tangents (to me) were also informative. I was unaware of the significance of Woomera to the history of the exploration of space.

[Stuart Hodge · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lyrical and critical, this is a great look at the archaeology of space- both the physical objects we've sent there and also the cultures and places that got those objects there. Super great stuff, continually interesting and faceted.

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was amazing to me. To look at the space age through archeology. The chapters were well-organized and I loved learning about young Alice too. I am sorry about the restricted choices. I look forward to a day when all marginalized people get the path and support that they choose for themselves.

[Kim]

Didn't finish.

Super interesting topic, but the narrative style kept losing my attention. YMMV!

[BOOK BOOKS]

ANOTHER GOOD ONE WAS DR. SPACE JUNK VS THE UNIVERSE. SHE'S A SPACE ARCHEOLOGIST!

JUST SKIP THE LAST CHAPTER.

[Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love how different this way to what I expected. I got to think about space and spacefaring in entirely new ways.