What are ‘water bears', tiny animals accompanying astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla to space? They can survive extreme temperatures, radiation and…, are found in…
Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla was poised to become the second Indian to step aboard the International Space Station (ISS). But the historic Axiom-4 mission, which was scheduled to carry Shukla and three others to space, was delayed once again on Tuesday (June 10) to fix a leak in the SpaceX's Falcon-9 rocket.
According to reports, Shubhanshu Shukla will have some unique passengers alongside him when the Axiom-4 mission gets a new launch date from SpaceX, tiny microscopic animals known as Tardigrades or 'water bears', which will be experimented upon aboard the ISS. The experiments are aimed at strengthening India's future space endeavors, including the ambitious Indian Space Station and the Gaganyaan mission, as per officials. What are Tardigrades and why were they chosen for this mission?
Tardigrades, aka water bears or moss piglets, are a species of eight-legged segmented micro-animals that are known for the ability to survive in the harshest of environments, including high temperatures, and the extreme radiation and vacuum of outer space.
First described by German zoologist Johann August Ephraim Goeze in 1773, who called these creatures 'Kleiner Wasserbär' or 'little water bear', tardigrades are known to have existed on Earth for nearly 600 million years, and have survived all five major mass extinction events the have occurred in the planet's history so far.
According to scientists, the experiments are aimed to understand how tardigrades survive in the harsh environment of space, so strategies can be developed to keep astronauts safe during long-duration space missions.
An adult tardigrade usually measures about 0.5 mm in length, and has four pairs of legs, with with 4 to 6 claw-like appendages on each leg. These creatures have a unique mouth-like appendage that helps the feed on plant cells, algae and other small invertebrates, by sucking out their nutrients. Where are tardigrades found?
Tardigrades are extremophiles, which means they are able to survive in every possible biosphere found on Earth, including mountaintops, the deep sea, tropical rainforests, and even the Antarctic region. As per scientists, tardigrades are among the most resilient animals known to man, able to survive extreme conditions such as extreme temperatures of as low as -272.95 degrees Celsius and as high as 150 degrees Celsius.
These hardy creatures can also withstand extreme ultraviolet radiation of outer space, and pressure of up to 40,000 kilopascals (equivalent to the pressure experienced at a depth of 4 km below the sea surface).
Scientists believe that a better understanding of the tardigrade physiology could have wide-ranging applications for the betterment of humankind, including developing more resilient crops, powerful sunscreens, and the preservation of human tissue and organs for transplant.
Tardigrades also produce intrinsically disordered proteins in response to desiccation, which forms a glass-like matrix that protects cytoplasm from damage during desiccation, as per scientists.
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