Facts about Tardigrade Space Survival
- 05
Crash-landing on the Moon in 2019, Israel's Beresheet spacecraft likely deposited thousands of dehydrated tardigrades onto the lunar surface.
- 04
The water bear's ability to produce high levels of protective proteins called late embryogenesis abundant (LEA) proteins helps shield its DNA from space radiation damage.
- 03
Ultraviolet radiation from the sun poses a greater threat to tardigrades in space than the vacuum itself, as dehydration alone does not protect against UV damage.
- 02
Tardigrades survive space exposure partly by entering cryptobiosis, a state in which their metabolism nearly stops and they become extraordinarily resistant to radiation.
- 01
In 2007, the FOTON-M3 mission exposed tardigrades to the vacuum and radiation of open space, and many survived and reproduced after returning to Earth.