The Monument to One-Way Migrants

This study investigates the role of objects in providing emotional support during extended space missions, drawing insights from historical “one-way” migrations. By reviewing cases such as medieval pilgrimages, Columbus’s voyages, and modern migrant/refugee journeys, the research highlights how nonessential items can offer enduring psychological and physiological comfort in highly isolated environments. Through case analyses and in-depth interviews, five mechanisms by which objects support users’ emotions emerge: triggering concrete memories, conveying and perpetuating emotional value, bearing new memories, affirming individual identity and existence, and offering “fictional guidance” for the future through symbolic means. Subsequently, the researcher conducted a quantitative survey, employing both Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) and Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) to develop and test an “object-emotion” support model.