The results of the studies showed that after two years of exposure in outer space near the ISS, all the tested microorganisms representing various domains of life survived.
It’s a bit more complicated than that, but in short: yes. However, survive doesn’t necessarily mean thrive.
Space agencies go to great lengths to sterilize things that leave our planet. There’s several reasons for that, but the big one is not contaminating any extra-terrestrial bodies with earth organisms so that if we do find any trace of life, we can be reasonably sure it is native to where we found it and didn’t stowaway on our equipment.
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-023-49525-z#Sec2
It’s a bit more complicated than that, but in short: yes. However, survive doesn’t necessarily mean thrive.
Space agencies go to great lengths to sterilize things that leave our planet. There’s several reasons for that, but the big one is not contaminating any extra-terrestrial bodies with earth organisms so that if we do find any trace of life, we can be reasonably sure it is native to where we found it and didn’t stowaway on our equipment.
Meanwhile Elon Musk is launching bio-contaminants into space: https://www.vice.com/en/article/elon-musk-bacteria-contamination-spacex-tesla-panspermia/
The future is bleak as long as it’s determined by people like Musk.
I didn’t even think of that. I was thinking sane space-bound ventures. But yeah, you’re totally right.
yeah, unfortunately “sane” is no longer on the table, at least in the U.S.