Moss spores that spent nearly nine months outside the International Space Station have continued to reproduce after returning to Earth, surprising researchers and opening new possibilities for studying life in extreme environments.
The findings, published in the journal iScience, show that almost 80 percent of the spores remained capable of reproduction despite exposure to intense ultraviolet radiation, severe heat, and freezing temperatures. Their resilience supports earlier observations that this moss can survive some of the harshest climates on Earth, from Death Valley’s blistering heat to the icy peaks of the Himalayas.
The spores, enclosed in protective structures called sporophytes, were placed in a special exposure facility on Japan’s Kibo module in 2022. There, they endured the brutal conditions of open space for nine months before being returned to Earth for analysis.
Led by Tomomichi Fujita, a plant biology professor at Hokkaido University, the research team concluded that moss could potentially survive up to 15 years in space. Fujita believes these results lay crucial groundwork for future efforts to create sustainable ecosystems beyond Earth.
The discovery marks a major step in understanding how life might adapt and thrive in extraterrestrial environments.
