The Bacteria That Can Survive In Space For Three Years
Deinococcus radiodurans survived 3 years on the outside of the ISS.
Reviewed by the CurioVault curator · 8 October 2026 · Editorial standards
Deinococcus radiodurans, aka Conan the Bacterium, can survive 3,000x the radiation that kills humans. In 2020, Japanese Tanpopo experiment left it outside ISS for 3 years. It survived, dehydrated but alive, protected by clumping into pellets. Its DNA repairs itself within hours. If it can travel between planets, panspermia becomes plausible.
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