The Moss That Survived Nine Months in Space

Moss spores spent nine months strapped to the outside of the International Space Station, exposed to vacuum, cosmic radiation, temperature swings from minus 196°C to 55°C, and unfiltered solar ultraviolet light. Over 80 percent survived the ordeal and returned to Earth still capable of growing into new moss plants. This remarkable resilience, demonstrated by one of Earth’s earliest land plants, suggests that life’s fundamental mechanisms may be far more robust in the face of space conditions than previously imagined.