US EditionMoss Spores Survive 9 Months In Space Before Successfully Reproducing Back On Earth
More than 80% of moss spores exposed outside the ISS for nine months remained viable and germinated, highlighting potential for extraterrestrial plant ecosystems, researchers said.
- A team publishing in iScience reported more than 80% of Physcomitrium patens spores survived nine months outside the ISS, with roughly 90 percent germinating after return.
- With an eye to the Moon and Mars, researchers sought to use Physcomitrium patens to help build ecosystems on these targets, led by Tomomichi Fujita, professor at Hokkaido University.
- Testing three life stages showed juvenile protonemata died from UV or extreme temperatures while sporophytes survived-196°C, 55°C and 10,000 joules UV for 283 days.
- Based on survival rates, the team estimates enough spores could survive around 15 years to establish a moss garden, but researchers say DNA damage assessments are needed.
- The results place moss among other hardy organisms that have survived space exposure, but scientists caution the ISS benefits from Earth's magnetic field and deep space radiation remains a serious concern for seed viability.
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The moss spores stood up to the extreme conditions and increased after their return to Earth. This could have a benefit for future all-missions
There are living things that can withstand exceptionally harsh conditions. Now it turns out that the beautifully named bryophyte (Physcomitrium patens) can survive for months in outer space.
Moss spores survived nine months in outer space and were able to reproduce normally upon return to Earth, a new study by Japanese scientists from Hokkaido University shows.
Moss Might Survive Nearly Two Decades in Space
Moss can make it practically anywhere, from the blustery coasts of Antarctica to high up on Mount Everest—and even in lava fields on the flanks of active volcanoes. That’s because bryophytes, the plant group comprising mosses as well as liverworts and hornworts, were among the first plants to make the transition to terrestrial living some 500 million years ago. On land, they encountered threats like ultraviolet radiation, shifting temperatures, …
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