 | Water Bears in Outer Space! |
In the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, we were informed of the improbability of the rescue of human beings ejected from a spaceship into the vacuum of outer space. This week, that fictional scenario was put to the test in real life, though not with human beings, but with other Earth animals called water bears.
No, these are not ordinary bears who swim in the water. Water bears, also known as tardigrades, are tiny animals that ordinarily live in the water but are able to place themselves in a state of suspended animation when their habitats dry out. Placed inside a FOTON-M3 capsule on a European Space Agency rocket, two groups of tardigrades in this state of suspended animation were sent up into orbit, and then ejected out into the vacuum of outer space. One group was also exposed to the radiation of outer space that Earth’s magnetic field ordinarily protects us from. It’s an experiment to see if this extremely hardy animal has what it takes to survive in outer space with no protection.
Far out.
The FOTON-M3 capsule came back to Earth yesterday, landing in the glorious nation of Kazakhstan. Any time now, scientists will examine the water bears that were retrieved from the vacuum of outer space, and look to see if they are still alive.
Look for an upgrade on the Tardigrades In Space blog.
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