A Wonder Moss From Earth Can Legitimately Survive on Mars—and Colonize It
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Earth and Mars don’t seem to have a lot in common, but the two planets do share some similar attributes including axial tilt, day length, and a history of liquid water.
Now, scientists from the Chinese Academy of Sciences say that some “extremotolerant” plants found on Earth could even survive the harsh conditions of the Red Planet.
One such planet, a type of moss found in arid locales like Tibet and Antarctica, survived rigorous testing, including deep freezing and high radiation, and could serve as a foundational “pioneer” plant for future human colonies on the Moon, Mars, and beyond.
Despite all appearances to the contrary, Earth and Mars have more than a few similarities. Both planets are in our sun’s Goldilocks Zone, where conditions are just right for the possibility of liquid water (and therefore life), both have roughly 24-hour days, and both also have seasons thanks to similar axial tilts. Heck, there are places on Earth that are so Mars-like that they even resemble Mars, and in the very distant past, the “Red Planet” likely resembled Earth with its meandering rivers and towering volcanoes.
Now, a new study from scientists at the Chinese Academy of Sciences reports that even some “extremotolerant” desert moss could possibly survive the immensely inhospitable conditions found on Mars.
The moss Syntrichia caninervis, found in extremely arid regions like Tibet, Antarctica, and the circumpolar regions, would essentially be the ultimate “pioneer” plant, a species that’s first to inhabit a barren environment, and well, environments don’t really get more barren than Mars. The results of the study were published earlier this month in the journal The Innovation.
“Although there is still a long way to go to create self-sufficient habitats on other planets,” the study authors write, “we demonstrated the great potential of S. caninervis as a pioneer plant for growth on Mars. Looking to the future, we expect that this promising moss could be brought to Mars or the Moon to further test the possibility of plant colonization and growth in outer space.”
S. caninervis is truly a wonder. According to the researchers, the plant fully recovered after being stored in a -80 degree Celsius ultra-cold freezer for three to five years and even bounced back after a month-long stint in a liquid nitrogen tank (roughly -196 degrees Celsius). The team also subjected the plant to Mars like conditions—a 95-percent-CO2 atmosphere, temperatures ranging from −60 degrees Celsius to 20 degrees Celsius, high levels of UV radiation, and low atmospheric pressure—and dried moss plants displayed a 100-percent recovery rate after a variety of exposure times up to a week.
Perhaps the most impressive ability of S. caninervis is its gamma radiation tolerance. Because Mars lacks a magnetic field and contains a mere wisp of an atmosphere (roughly 1 percent of Earth’s), it receives around 40 to 50 times more radiation than the Earth. Humans experience convulsions and death at around 50 grays (Gy), which is the equivalent of 5,000 radiation absorbed doses (rads). This particularly super moss can not only withstand ten times the amount of grays but also shows signs of stimulated growth under such heavily irradiated conditions. This amazing resilience means this plant could be a vital resource for future human colonies on the Moon, Mars, and beyond.
“Our study shows that the environmental resilience of S. caninervis is superior to that of some of highly stress-tolerant microorganisms and tardigrades,” the paper reads. “S. caninervis is a promising candidate pioneer plant for colonizing extraterrestrial environments, laying the foundation for building biologically sustainable human habitats beyond Earth.”
S. caninervis isn’t the only example of promising plant subjects for future astrobotany. A 2014 study published stunning results after testing the lichen Xanthoria elegans under Martian conditions and exposing a specimen to the harshness of space for 18 months as part of the lichen and fungi experiment (LIFE) onboard the International Space Station. In 2017 some forms of algae, harvested from the Arctic Circle, were also exposed to space before being returned to Earth. Both the lichen and algae displayed remarkable rates of viability.
For now, plant life is not a similarity shared between Earth and its Goldilocks neighbor, but hey—never say never.
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