Suara.com – NASA will launch about 5,000 tardigrades or “water bear” and 128 baby squid that can shine in the dark, to Space Station International (ISS) on June 3.
The launch is part of SpaceX’s 22nd cargo supply mission, which will launch from Kennedy Space Center, Florida.
Tardigrades are very small creatures, only 1 millimeter in length.
The animal had a fat, bear-like appearance when viewed through a microscope.
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Tardigrades are able to withstand extreme radiation, pressures six times that of the deepest parts of the oceans, and total vacuum.
This ability makes tardigrades useful research organisms on the ISS.
Later, the astronauts can identify the specific genes that are responsible for the animal’s adaptability.
“These animals have been shown to survive for days or weeks with little or no oxygen,” said Thomas Boothby, assistant professor of molecular biology at the University of Wyoming.
Experts will examine the animal for signs of direct adaptation and long-term ability, there is life in low Earth orbit.
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Boothby hopes the tardigrades will provide important insights for future therapies that can protect the health of astronauts during space missions.
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