The origin of the first wooden spindle is lost to history because the materials didn't survive.

Such materials do not survive all the very high temperatures that are of interest.

Only 1800 manuscripts and 30,000 printed materials from the original library survived the war.

Various other materials written in his own hand have survived.

It has been in orbit almost six years as a test of how well materials survive the space environment.

Such materials survive poorly in graves, and no archaeological finds have been made.

His life is not well documented, as no contemporaneous material survives.

The team cannot say for sure how much material survived to the surface, but it's thought very little splashed down.

Most material from the 1960s also only survive as telerecordings.

The satellite holds 57 experiments, including some designed to test how well materials survive in space.