Moss survived 283 days on the outside of the International Space Station
Tardigrades shocked scientists in 2008 by surviving 10 days in low Earth orbit. A simple plant has outdone the hardy water bears. Moss attached to the outside of the ISS survived in space for nine months, and may be capable of much longer periods.
A study published in the Cell Press journal iScience found that Physcomitrium patens, commonly known as spreading earthmoss, was extremely resilient to the extreme environment of space. Over 80% of the spores survived after nine months of exposure, and 81% of those were still capable of reproducing after returning to Earth.
“Most living organisms, including humans, cannot survive even briefly in the vacuum of space,” says lead author Tomomichi Fujita of Hokkaido University. “However, the moss spores retained their vitality after nine months of direct exposure. This provides striking evidence that the life that has evolved on Earth possesses, at the cellular level, intrinsic mechanisms to endure the conditions of space.”
Professor Fujita told AAAS that the team’s model indicated the moss could have survived for up to 15 years in space, though further research is needed to confirm this estimate. He believes that this research could be integral to future ecosystems on the Moon and Mars.
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