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    Moss spores survive 9 months outside International Space Station

    November 24, 2025, Categories  Astronomy/Space, Biology/Biotechnology

    This moss survived 9 months directly exposed to the elements of space
    A reddish-brown sporophyte can be seen at the top center of a leafy gametophore. This capsule contains numerous spores inside. Mature sporophytes like these were individually collected and used as samples for the space exposure experiment conducted on the exposure facility of the International Space Station (ISS). Credit: Tomomichi Fujita

    Mosses thrive in the most extreme environments on Earth, from the peaks of the Himalayas to the sands of Death Valley, the Antarctic tundra to the lava fields of active volcanoes. Inspired by moss’s resilience, researchers sent moss sporophytes—reproductive structures that encase spores—to the most extreme environment yet: space.

    Their results, published in the journal iScience on November 20, show that more than 80% of the spores survived nine...

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