The European Space Agency has discovered that Lichens can survive in the harsh environment of Space.
The Lichens were located in the outer shell of the Foton-2 Spacecraft sent into orbit back in May this year.
They were subject to the full hostility of the vacuum of space and the high radiation levels, for 14.5 days.
On their return, the space-faring lichens were all still alive, and their ability to photosynthesise had not diminished.In evolutionary terms, lichens are far more advanced organisms than bacteria, being composed of millions of algae cells and fungal cells which have a symbiotic relationship.
***Thoughts.
I would like to see Lichens placed for a far longer time in space, before they were put down on Mars? (Were that the future plan) I suppose they exude a minute amount of Oxygen? Breathable by us in a million years time?
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2005/11/09/lichens_space_mars/
