A species of moss survived for 9 months on the outside of the International Space Station, new research reveals — and 80% of the samples kept reproducing when returned to Earth.

Moss spores have survived a prolonged trip to space, scientists reveal. The spores spent nine months on the outside of the International Space Station (ISS) before returning to our planet, and over 80% of the spores were still able to reproduce when they arrived back on Earth.

The discovery improves our understanding of how plant species survive in extreme conditions, the researchers wrote in their findings, published Thursday (Nov. 20) in the journal iScience.

  • Hirom@beehaw.org
    9·
    1 day ago

    Fujita thinks the protective, spongy casing surrounding the spores may help defend against UV light and dehydration.

    According to this article, they’re just speculating at this point why spores survived. Next step could be to confirm why spores survived. If that’s a form of shielding, then run tests to check if a layer a spore would be a more effective shield than existing matetials. If it is, look for a practical way to use it.