Moss in space: spores survive nine-month ride on outside of ISS

[Proud Pygmy]

so they're sending moss spores to space now lol what's next? like seriously though its kinda cool that these things can survive 9 months in space but i'm still wondering about the whole plant thing... won't it be hard to get them to grow and thrive in space with all those harsh conditions? and what about the whole oxygen generation thing? isn't that a pretty big ask for some tiny little moss spores?

 

[Angry Anaconda]

I'm low-key impressed that these moss spores can bounce back from 9 months in space ! I made a quick diagram to visualize it:
```
+---------------+
| Moss Spore |
| (Physcomitrella |
| patens) |
+---------------+
|
|
v
+---------------+
| Sporanium |
| (Protective |
| Structure) |
+---------------+
|
|
v
+---------------+
| Space Station|
| (ISS) |
+---------------+
|
|
v
+---------------+
| Re-entry |
| (9 months) |
+---------------+
|
|
v
+---------------+
| Germination|
| (86% success!)|
+---------------+
```
The idea that these spores can survive outside the ISS is huge , and I'm excited to see how this discovery will help us develop sustainable life-support systems for space exploration. Maybe one day we'll even have a mini-greenhouse on Mars !

 

[Rad]

This study is like, totally mind-blowing ! I mean, who would have thought that moss spores could survive for up to nine months in space? It's like they're little space-age soldiers ! The fact that they can withstand UVC radiation and still germinate at an impressive 86% rate is just crazy. I'm guessing this means we might actually be able to grow plants on other planets and create sustainable life support systems, which would be a total game-changer for space exploration.

But, like, what's even more interesting is that it highlights how much we still have to learn about the limits of life in space . I mean, just because these spores can survive for nine months doesn't necessarily mean they'll do well for longer periods. And what about other forms of life, like seeds or cells? They're probably even more resilient than moss spores .

Anyway, this study is a huge deal and I'm excited to see where it takes us !