Interior Space: A Visual Exploration of the International Space Station: Photographs by Paolo Nespoli & Roland Miller

by Alice Gorman (Contributor), Paolo Nespoli (Photographer), Roland Miller (Photographer)

Unseen images of the International Space Station, untenanted and the legacy of humanity's fragile foothold in space On November 2 2020, NASA celebrates the 20th anniversary of continuous human habitation in space of the International Space Station. In Interior Space , American photographer Roland Miller and Italian astronaut and photographer Paolo Nespoli offer an in-depth portrait of the ISS, creating amazing unpeopled images of the interior of the ISS for the first time. As internationally acclaimed scholars of space archaeology Alice Gorman and Justin St. P. Walsh write in their essays, the ISS speaks not only of who we are and will be, but also of who we were. In 2024 the ISS will be abandoned; in 2028 it will be destroyed. This book provides us with an eerie account of what will remain in the space after our passing.

Italian-born astronaut Paolo Nespoli (born 1957) spent 313 days in space. After a career in the military, he earned a M.Sc. in Aerospace Engineering, then joined the European Space Agency spending time in Europe, the US and Russia. In 2007 he flew on the Space Shuttle and then, in 2010 to 2011 and 2017, he flew again to the International Space Station with the Russian Soyuz. He retired in 2018 from the astronaut corps launching a career as an international public speaker.

Chicago-born photographer Roland Miller (born 1958) taught photography at Brevard Community College in Cocoa, Florida, for 14 years, where he visited many nearby NASA launch sites. He is the author of the acclaimed book Abandoned in Preserving America’s Space History , documenting deactivated and repurposed space launch and test facilities around the US. In 2017 he started the project Interior Space. His work is held at the Museum of Contemporary Photography, Chicago and at the NASA Art Collection in Washington, DC.

191 pages, Hardcover

Published October 13, 2020

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

[Mike · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love anything to do with space. Especially real hardware that flies. Even more especially hardware that allows people to live in a place that wants to kill you at every turn. I was part of the Kickstarter for the book. It is an amazing view into the workplace flying through the void above our heads.

The images in the book are super sharp, clearly showing each of the areas aboard ISS. I found it fascinating to trace the cables and conduits in the background in an attempt to discern their function.

The most dazzling space has to be the cupola. The big window that overlooks the earth. It is the place astronauts take amazing pictures of the Earth using handheld DSLR cameras.

This is an excellent walkthrough of ISS, allowing us Earth dwellers a peak into the life of astronauts. It has already inspired my kids to dream of working in space one day.

[RandomGuy · Rating 5 out of 5]

An amazing book gifted to me by an amazing person. Every photo tells countless stories, emotions, and adventures; you could spend hours studying every single one of them and you would always find new interesting details hidden within.

The introductory texts are also wonderful, allowing us to see the more "human" side of the astronauts and those who work in the aerospace industry on a daily basis. Sometimes we think of them as extraordinary beings, placed on a pedestal as if they were born to reach for the stars. But the reality is far different - people like Paolo can be funny, quirky, and full of unique humour, all of which is perfectly expressed in the book's art.

If you love space, I cannot recommend this book highly enough.