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International Space Station
Also known as: ISS
Facts (25)
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The role of extremophile microbiomes in terraforming Mars - Nature nature.com Nov 17, 2025 13 facts
accountThe Tanpopo mission demonstrated that microbial cells retained viability and genomic integrity after one year of exposure on the exterior of the International Space Station.
referenceThe BIOMEX experiment on the International Space Station, led by J. P. de Vera et al., studied the limits of life and the habitability of Mars, as published in Astrobiology in 2019.
claimResults from the BOSS experiment on the International Space Station demonstrated that inner layers of biofilms retained viability and structure, suggesting that biofilm architecture and the extracellular polymeric matrix act as a biological shield against UV radiation and help preserve internal humidity.
referenceShotgun metagenomic analysis of a kombucha mutualistic community exposed to a Mars-like environment outside the International Space Station reveals the community's response to extraterrestrial conditions.
claimThe BioRock experiment, conducted aboard the International Space Station, provided evidence that biofilms can form and maintain microbial activity under simulated Martian gravity.
referenceRabbow et al. (2015) described the EXPOSE-R astrobiological mission conducted on board the International Space Station.
measurementDuring the European Space Agency's EXPOSE-E and EXPOSE-R2 missions, Cryomyces antarcticus was exposed to simulated Martian conditions aboard the International Space Station for 1.5 years, resulting in over 60% of cells maintaining membrane integrity and metabolic activity, though colony-forming ability was reduced.
referenceE. Ott et al. documented the molecular repertoire of the bacterium Deinococcus radiodurans after one year of exposure outside the International Space Station during the Tanpopo mission, published in Microbiome in 2020.
accountIn the LiFE (Lichens and Fungi Experiment) mission aboard the International Space Station, cryptoendolithic microorganisms from Antarctic sandstone were exposed for 1.5 years to simulated Mars and outer space conditions.
claimGround-based Mars simulation chambers and orbital exposure experiments, including ESA’s EXPOSE-E, EXPOSE-R, EXPOSE-R2, BOSS, and BIOMEX missions on the International Space Station, serve as testbeds for investigating microbial resilience outside Earth's biosphere.
referenceThe BOSS experiment, conducted on the International Space Station, investigated the structural integrity and survival of biofilms formed by Deinococcus geothermalis and Chroococcidiopsis under Mars-like conditions.
accountThe European Space Agency (ESA) BIOMEX mission exposed dried biofilms of Chroococcidiopsis species to Mars-analog conditions outside the International Space Station for 18 months.
referenceThe EXPOSE-R2 mission, conducted by the European Space Agency on the International Space Station, investigated astrobiological questions as detailed in a 2017 study by et al. in Frontiers in Microbiology.
Life on the Edge: Bioprospecting Extremophiles for Astrobiology link.springer.com May 19, 2023 9 facts
referenceThe cyanobacterium Chroococcidiopsis showed an absence of increased genomic variants when exposed to Mars-like conditions outside the International Space Station, as reported by Napoli et al. in 2022.
referenceOnofri et al. (2015) studied the survival of Antarctic cryptoendolithic fungi in simulated Martian conditions on board the International Space Station.
referenceYamagishi et al. (2018) reported environmental and survival data for the microorganism Deinococcus aetherius, obtained from the Tanpopo mission exposure facility on the International Space Station.
accountOnofri and collaborators reported that the black yeast Cryomyces antarcticus maintained survival, DNA integrity, ultrastructural stability, and rapid metabolic activity recovery after 18 months of exposure to space and Mars-like conditions in International Space Station (ISS) experiments.
claimAntarctic cryptoendolithic fungi demonstrated survival in simulated Martian conditions while on board the International Space Station, according to a 2015 study by Onofri et al.
referenceSantomartino R et al. found in 2020 that microgravity and simulated Mars gravity had no effect on the final bacterial cell concentrations of organisms grown on the International Space Station.
claimCryptoendolithic fungi were studied for DNA integrity and cellular ultrastructure under space or Mars conditions during a 1.5-year experiment at the International Space Station, as reported by Onofri et al. (2018).
referenceKawaguchi et al. (2013) assessed the viability of Deinococcus spp. under International Space Station (ISS) environmental conditions to evaluate the possibility of interplanetary microbial transfer, published in Orig Life Evol Biosph 43:411–428.
claimIn experiments conducted on the International Space Station (ISS), Deinococcus radiodurans survived for three years outside the station in a shielded compartment, establishing the organism as a relevant model for planetary protection and panspermia.
Can Extreme Bacteria Teach Us About Extraterrestrial Life? kids.frontiersin.org Jul 27, 2023 1 fact
claimThe Mars EXposed Extremophiles Mixture (MEXEM) project is a planned 2025 experiment that intends to send selected extremophilic microbes to the International Space Station for a three-month study.
Publications by Charles Cockell - School of Physics and Astronomy ph.ed.ac.uk 1 fact
referenceCharles Cockell co-authored a 2023 study titled 'Microbially-Enhanced Vanadium Mining and Bioremediation Under Micro- and Mars Gravity on the International Space Station' published in Frontiers in Microbiology.
How open-source is shaping the future of innovation devopsonline.co.uk 1 fact
accountPhysics students and their professors developed a radiation detection device that was sent to the International Space Station to stream real-time data back to Earth, demonstrating the potential of open-source projects to support ambitious, resource-efficient initiatives.