NASA Is Testing the ISS for Evidence That Microorganisms Can Survive in Outer Space

NASA Is Testing the ISS for , Evidence That Microorganisms , Can Survive in Outer Space.
On October 12, NASA conducted a spacewalk to
swab the exterior of the International Space
Station to check for evidence of microorganisms. .
The Byte reports that, if found, the microorganisms
would have survived under some of the most
extreme conditions possible.
The search for evidence that microbes are capable
of surviving in outer space could have
implications on the search for life outside of Earth. .
Back in 2015, astronauts exposed
microbes to cryogenic temperatures
and extreme radiation levels.
According to a 2020 paper, a bacteria known
as Deinococcus radiodurans was able to
survive for three years in outer space.
Another experiment found that even simpler
organisms were also capable of surviving in
the harsh conditions outside of the ISS.
The Byte reports that the results suggest that microbes
may be able to allow basic life forms to cover vast
distances, potentially jumping from planet to planet.
Of course, this does not mean
that life actually exists on Mars, Jean-Pierre Paul de Vera, Astrobiologist at BIOMEX, via The Byte.
But the search for life is
more than ever the strongest
driving force for the next
generation of missions to Mars, Jean-Pierre Paul de Vera, Astrobiologist at BIOMEX, via The Byte