LONDON (IT BOLTWISE) – A remarkable breakthrough in space research shows that moss spores can survive in the vacuum of space after nine months. This discovery could pave the way for the development of agricultural systems on the Moon and Mars.
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Recent research into the resilience of moss spores in space could have far-reaching implications for future agriculture beyond Earth. Scientists at Hokkaido University have found that more than 80% of moss spores exposed to the extreme conditions of space for nine months survived and continued to germinate after returning to Earth. This discovery highlights the remarkable adaptability of creatures that have evolved on Earth and opens up new possibilities for the use of plants in extraterrestrial environments.
Mosses are known for their ability to survive in extreme environments such as the peaks of the Himalayas or the deserts of Death Valley. These properties made them ideal candidates for experiments in space. Researchers led by Tomomichi Fujita studied the survivability of Physcomitrium patens, also known as earth moss, under simulated space conditions that include intense UV radiation, extreme temperatures and vacuum. This showed that the sporophytes containing the spores are particularly resistant.
The experiments found that UV radiation was the greatest threat, but the sporophytes surpassed other moss structures in their resilience. While juvenile mosses and brood bodies could not withstand the extreme conditions, the encapsulated spores showed approximately 1,000 times greater UV tolerance and survived temperatures of -196°C for more than a week or 55°C for an entire month. These protective mechanisms may have helped early land plants move from water to land 500 million years ago.
In March 2022, hundreds of sporophytes were sent to the International Space Station (ISS), where they were exposed to space conditions for 283 days. After returning to Earth in January 2023, analyzes showed that most spores had survived and remained healthy. These results could support future studies on cultivating plants in extraterrestrial soils and promote the development of agricultural systems for the Moon and Mars.
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