Other microcosms: Antarctic microbes survive in outer space
Russian scientists have studied whether the microbiota, which has successfully adapted to existence in Deep Lake in Antarctica, will survive in space. The water in it is very salty and cold. Experts suggest that similar conditions may exist in the subglacial oceans on a number of moons of Saturn and Jupiter. For example, on Enceladus and Europa. The experiment showed that life can develop in such extreme conditions. Does this mean that there is life on other objects in the Solar System, and how research will help in human space exploration? — in the Izvestia article.
How microbes survive in outer space
Scientists from the Institute of Biomedical Problems of the Russian Academy of Sciences summed up the results of one of the experiments on the Bion-M biosatellite No. 2, which made a monthly orbital flight in August-September 2025. The study showed the potential for the existence of microorganisms on the "icy moons" of Jupiter and Saturn.
Launching of the Bion-M satellite No. 2 into orbit
The Bion-M expedition No. 2 was launched on August 20, 2025 from the Baikonur cosmodrome. There were mice, fruit flies, plants, microorganisms and other biological objects on board the satellite.
During the mission, the spacecraft was in a polar orbit about 380 km high for 30 days. This orbit passes over the poles of the Earth, areas with a high radiation background. The main goal of the project was to study the influence of space factors of weightlessness on living organisms.
According to experts, haloarchaea of the genus Halorubrum were used in the experiment. These organisms live in Deep Lake, a cold and extremely salty lake in East Antarctica. Due to the high concentration of salts, the water in it does not freeze even in the most severe frosts.
Scientists consider this reservoir as an Earth model of the oceans that may exist under the icy shell of Enceladus and Europa and some other satellites of the giant planets of the Solar system. For example, on Enceladus, the ocean is probably in contact with the rocky core of the satellite, and jets of water vapor and ice particles escape from its depths through cracks in the icy crust. Such fountains, in particular, were recorded by the Cassini probe in 2005.
— The water there may contain salts and other chemical compounds that are necessary for the existence of microorganisms. Therefore, the ability of haloarchae to survive in the cold and salty environment of the Deep Lake is of interest to astrobiologists," Alexander Guridov, one of the authors of the study, a researcher at the Laboratory of Environmental Microbiology and Antimicrobial Protection of the IMBP RAS, told Izvestia.
According to him, the purpose of the experiment was to test how these microorganisms tolerate extreme space conditions such as vacuum, ultraviolet radiation, radiation and strong temperature fluctuations. For these purposes, haloarchae cultures were placed on the outer surface of the satellite.
As a result, after returning to Earth, scientists found that a significant part of them survived. Thus, the researchers demonstrated for the first time that these microorganisms not only successfully exist in an environment similar to the ocean of Enceladus, but also withstand the factors of outer space.
This allows us to consider haloarchae as a model of extraterrestrial life, the scientist explained. If they are able to survive such conditions, it means that hypothetical life forms with a similar biochemical structure have a chance to exist on icy moons.
How to ensure the safety of space missions
— The experimental results also raise the question of developing new rules for planetary quarantine. According to the data obtained, direct solar ultraviolet radiation is the most harmful factor for organisms. However, in the samples that were protected from it even by a small layer of soil, the microorganisms retained survival rates comparable to the terrestrial control group," said Alexander Guridov.
This means that even a random particle of Earth's dust on a spacecraft can become a kind of shield that will help the haloarchaeans safely survive an interplanetary flight, the scientist shared.
In his opinion, any missions to other celestial bodies should provide for the strictest possible sterilization of probes, so as not to bring microbiota to the satellites, which could disrupt possible extraterrestrial ecosystems.
— In 2020, the Japanese Hayabusa-2 spacecraft delivered soil samples from the Ryugu asteroid. In them, scientists found microorganisms that successfully multiplied, increasing their colony by an order of magnitude in a week. However, it later became clear that the contamination occurred when the capsule was opened on Earth," said Nathan Eismont, a leading researcher at the Space Research Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences.
Japanese Hayabusa2 space probe
According to him, despite the fact that there was no sensation, this case showed that some organisms are extremely resilient and easily colonize alien material. Therefore, the new study is of interest from the point of view of the safety of space missions and ensuring the sterility of the devices.
Such experiments strengthen the hope of finding extraterrestrial life in space. However, despite the progress of science, such hypotheses still remain at the level of assumptions, the expert emphasized.
— Archaea's survival is probably facilitated by the high content of carotenoid pigments, which protect their bodies from radiation to a certain extent. These are substances that are synthesized by bacteria, fungi, algae and plants. Animals (including humans) cannot produce them themselves, but they get them with food. Understanding the protective mechanisms of haloarchae will allow us to develop new ways to protect astronauts," said Oleg Kotsyurbenko, Doctor of Biological Sciences, expert in space microbiology.
Space soil
He added that in the future, microorganisms can become our allies in the process of environmental transformation in the exploration of other celestial objects. For example, they can improve the local soil and prepare it for planting terrestrial plants. They can also regulate the level of soil acidity, reduce the concentration of harmful compounds (for example, perchlorates in the Martian soil) and help with the accumulation of essential substances.
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