Antarctic microbes survived in open space

Researchers at the Institute of Biomedical Problems of the Russian Academy of Sciences have obtained results from an experiment conducted aboard the biological satellite Bion-M No. 2. Microorganisms taken from an extremely salty lake in Antarctica managed to survive a month-long flight on the external surface of the spacecraft. The study strengthens the case for the possible existence of life on the icy moons of Jupiter and Saturn.

Which Microbes Were Sent into Space

The object of the study was halophilic archaea of the genus Halorubrum. These microorganisms inhabit Deep Lake—a cold and extremely saline body of water in eastern Antarctica. Due to the high salt concentration, the water there does not freeze even during severe frosts. Scientists consider this lake a terrestrial analogue of the subsurface oceans that, according to current data, exist on Europa and Enceladus.

What Was Tested in the Experiment

The Bion-M No. 2 biosatellite spent about a month in orbit—from August to September 2025. Cultures of the halophilic archaea were placed on the spacecraft's outer surface, where they were exposed to vacuum, ultraviolet radiation, cosmic radiation, and sharp temperature fluctuations.

As Alexander Guridov, a researcher at the Laboratory of Environmental Microbiology and Antimicrobial Protection at the Institute of Biomedical Problems, explained, the aim of the experiment was to determine whether these microorganisms could withstand the conditions of open space.

The Result Exceeded Expectations

After the satellite returned to Earth, the researchers found that a significant proportion of the halophilic archaea remained viable. In doing so, the scientists demonstrated for the first time that microorganisms from an Antarctic saline lake are capable of surviving the factors of open space.

This result is significant for astrobiology. If terrestrial organisms adapted to cold, salty environments can withstand vacuum and radiation, then the likelihood of life persisting in the subsurface oceans of distant moons becomes more plausible.

In Brief

An experiment aboard the Bion-M No. 2 biosatellite showed that halophilic archaea from Antarctica's Deep Lake managed to survive a month-long exposure to open space. The microbes withstood vacuum, radiation, ultraviolet light, and temperature extremes. Since the conditions in their native lake resemble the subsurface oceans of Europa and Enceladus, the finding bolsters the hypothesis that life may exist on the icy moons of Jupiter and Saturn.