According to a recent space experiment conducted by the European Space Agency, lichen can thrive in an open space environment. 
This is the first time the vitality of this plant has been observed in space.
The experiment with lichen was completed in the “biological tray” module of the European Space Agency launched by the Russian satellite “Light“.
Unlike previous experiments, this “biological tray” was installed on the surface of the satellite. During the experiment, lichen samples were fully exposed to outer space, subjected to extreme conditions such as vacuum, weightlessness, drastic temperature changes, and high levels of harmful cosmic radiation…
The experiment lasted continuously for 14.6 days and nights. After that, the “biological tray” was retrieved by a special feedback compartment.
This two-week experiment demonstrated that all lichen samples survived and continued to photosynthesize as usual.
The existence of life beyond Earth will help scientists accumulate data on the laws and conditions that govern it, serving as a foundation for researching the composition of materials in the space environment and generating ideas for studying the evolution of life.
The survival of lichen in space not only aids humans in exploring the cosmos but may also assist humanity in researching methods to overcome diseases.
This is because extracts from lichen can resist radiation, ultraviolet rays, and some compounds from lichen species have shown effectiveness in treating cancer.
Lichen is one of the oldest living organisms on Earth, capable of adapting to low and dry temperature environments like those found in the Antarctic desert, and is the most abundant and widely distributed organism in that region.
Lichen is a type of symbiotic organism, and some biologists even consider them as independent lower plants.
In the eyes of scientists, lichen represents a complex organic entity, a collective of fungal cells that maintain a significant symbiotic relationship. The growth rate of lichen is very slow; the largest and fastest-growing lichen only grows about 1mm in 100 years.
The water necessary for lichen growth is derived from melting snow and ice. Nutrients for them are provided by weathered chemicals from rocks.
The resilience of lichen has long been known, but their ability to survive in space is a new discovery.
The greatest difference between lichen and other bacterial species is that this cellular organism can be observed with the naked eye. This finding compels scientists to reassess the potential for biological entities to be dispersed in space through meteorite surfaces.
While lichen’s survival in space may not solve all existential issues of life, starting research with lichen could potentially lead to breakthroughs in addressing numerous challenges.
Nhung Tuyết
