Just How Tough Is Earth Life? Tough Enough To Go Space And Still Thrive

Every time we send a spacecraft to another world, our Earth-based lifeforms are going with us. No matter how well we try to keep them clean, a few stowaways will always come along for the ride. You’d think that years in the cold hard vacuum of space, suffering extreme temperature changes, and receiving brutal doses of radiation would be all it takes to sterilize any life caught on the outside of a lander or rover headed to Mars or Europa. Well, think again. Life just demonstrated that it’s surprisingly ready to make the journey, and happy to get back to work the moment conditions improve.