Earthly bacteria survives for years in space, study proves

[Mike Wehner]

• An experiment has proven that bacteria can survive in the harsh conditions of space for years on end.
• A Japanese mission placed bacteria pellets in panels outside of the International Space Station, and the bacteria managed to survive for up to three years before being retrieved.
• Ensuring that such bacteria don't contaminate other worlds is a top priority of NASA

Humans are living in space right this second, but that's only because our technology has made such a feat possible. With decades of technological advancements on our side, you'd think humans would be the most well-suited of all the living creatures on Earth when it comes to enduring life in space. Well, you'd be wrong.

As a new study published in Frontiers in Microbiology explains, a very special, very resilient type of bacteria can survive in space all on its own, and for extended periods of time. The Deinococcus bacteria were purposefully exposed to the intense radiation and cold of space for a whopping three years and lived to tell the tale.

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Earthly bacteria survives for years in space, study proves originally appeared on BGR.com on Wed, 26 Aug 2020 at 22:14:46 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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