Why are tardigrades important to space exploration?

A resilient food system is important in space. There would be great challenges in producing food in space, and any deep space project with astronauts would require food. I would want to know how tardigrades could fit into the food web. read more

Tardigrades, also known as “water bears,” are microscopic animals capable of withstanding some of the most severe environmental conditions. Researchers from Japan have now created the most accurate picture yet of the tardigrade genome, revealing the neat tricks it uses to stay alive. read more

Tardigrades are of particular interest following the 2007 European Space Agency (Esa) Foton-M3 mission, during which their ability to survive space conditions was discovered. Stocky bodies. Tardigrades are microscopic animals more commonly known by their non-scientific name, the water bear. Their stocky bodies and gait have all the hallmarks of a bear. read more