[arrrg]

If you zoom in on the images you can see why they have so many cameras: loads of dead pixels everywhere. They don’t last forever up there because of the increased radiation. I would assume they don’t really fly stuff like still functioning cameras with loads of dead pixels back. (Even some old iPad seems to get good use as a wall clock next to the dining table.)

Also, if I remember correctly (from some interview with some ESA guy, I think) people on the ground would prefer it if the station were kept tidier – but the people up there are busy people with more important things to do than to keep everything always super-tidy. But inventory management is apparently a big topic and they do have a system for it. (I think even including a barcode scanner to catalogue items.)

I mean, even still, looking at those images, I do have to say everything does seem … tidier than usual. I think they cleaned up before they took them. Those more improvised tours of the station from astronauts you can find on YouTube show a station that is substantially more cluttered. Or at least seem that way. Looking at those pictures and being familiar with others and videos of the station my first thought was not how cluttered everything is but how tidy. Compared to the usual state of things, at least.