Moss Spores Survive 283 Days on ISS Exterior as 80% Regenerate on Earth
Updated
Updated · artthreat.net · May 30
Moss Spores Survive 283 Days on ISS Exterior as 80% Regenerate on Earth
3 articles · Updated · artthreat.net · May 30
More than 80% of Physcomitrium patens spores regenerated after 283 days mounted on the International Space Station’s exterior, marking the first demonstrated survival of a terrestrial plant through prolonged direct space exposure.
The spores were launched to the ISS in March 2022 on a Cygnus resupply mission and left outside the station, where they endured vacuum, radiation and extreme temperature swings.
Researchers said the moss’s survival likely came from strong DNA-repair systems and a protective spore structure, and modeling suggested the spores could last about 5,600 days—roughly 15 years—unshielded in space.
The result could reshape plans for long-duration space settlement and strengthens scientific interest in panspermia, the idea that life can travel between worlds on natural or artificial carriers.
If Earth's moss can survive in space, what prevents us from accidentally contaminating other planets with our own life?
Can space-proof moss, lunar soil, and special fungi be combined to create the first self-sustaining farm on the Moon?
Can the genetic secrets of this space-faring moss be engineered into crops to feed a future Martian colony?
Nine Months in Space: How Moss Spores Survived the ISS and What It Means for Life Beyond Earth
Overview
A team of scientists from Hokkaido University, led by Tomomichi Fujita, sent hundreds of moss sporophytes to the International Space Station in March 2022 to test how life survives in extreme space conditions. Astronauts attached the samples to the outside of the ISS, where they faced the harsh space environment for 283 days. After nearly nine months, the samples returned to Earth and were analyzed in the lab. The experiment showed that moss spores can endure long-term exposure to space, marking a significant step in understanding life's resilience and supporting future space exploration.