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LiveScience
LiveScience
Mason Wakley

Scientists put moss on the outside of the International Space Station for 9 months — then kept it growing back on Earth

A photo of the ISS with an inset box showing a close-up of moss.

Moss spores have survived a prolonged trip to space, scientists reveal. The spores spent nine months on the outside of the International Space Station (ISS) before returning to our planet, and over 80% of the spores were still able to reproduce when they arrived back on Earth.

The discovery improves our understanding of how plant species survive in extreme conditions, the researchers wrote in their findings, published Thursday (Nov. 20) in the journal iScience.

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