In an amazing experiment, researchers had discovered creatures that can survive in space. Researchers exposed tiny, six-legged critter called "water bears," to the open harsh vacuum of space, and amazingly many of them survived!
The hardy segmented creatures suspended all biological activity in extreme environments and survived the journey to space that would have instantly killed any human. Even with all the deadly radiation of space, it seems life will find a way to survive.
The water bears, known formally as tardigrades, are speck-sized things which are less than 1.5 millimeters long. They can resist heat, cold and radiation, and live on wet lichens and mosses. When their environment dries out however, they would just wait for a return of water. The tardigrades were aboard the FOTON-M3 spacecraft launched by the European Space Agency (ESA) in September 2007 and were then exposed to open space conditions. Upon return to Earth, they were examined and most had survived exposure to the vacuum of space. The survivors could even reproduce after their space trip!
Researchers are still puzzled on how the tardigrades did it, but surviving in space…that’s just amazing. Give a whole new meaning to life in space.
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