Astronauts are preparing for an extraordinary mission next week: wearing their spacesuits to venture outside the **[International Space Station](https://mashable.com/article/comet-c2024-g3-atlas-nasa-astronaut-space-image)** (ISS) to collect samples from its surface. The objective? To find out if the orbiting facility, situated 250 miles above Earth, is ejecting microorganisms into **[space](https://mashable.com/category/space)**.
This experiment will entail gathering specimens of bacteria and fungi around the station’s vents. **[NASA](https://mashable.com/category/nasa)** is eager to discover whether these microorganisms can endure the extreme conditions of space and, if they can, how far they might be dispersed. The collected samples will be preserved in frozen conditions and sent back to Earth for comprehensive examination.
Despite NASA’s strict sanitization measures for spacecraft, it’s impossible to eradicate all microscopic organisms from equipment intended for space. Furthermore, astronauts themselves harbor ecosystems of bacteria and fungi on their skin and inside their bodies, unintentionally spreading these microorganisms within their surroundings. As former NASA chief scientist John Grunsfeld highlighted in 2015, “We recognize that life exists on Mars already because we transferred it there.”
**[SEE ALSO: NASA found bacteria that could survive anything. Now it’s enhancing sunscreen.](https://mashable.com/article/nasa-bacteria-extremophile-sunscreen)**
NASA astronauts **[Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams](https://mashable.com/article/boeing-starliner-nasa-flight-readiness-decision)**—who are also patiently waiting for their postponed return on a **[Boeing spacecraft](https://mashable.com/article/boeing-starliner-return-date)**—will conduct the spacewalk to gather these microbial samples. The 6.5-hour undertaking, planned for 8 a.m. ET on January 30, will involve various other maintenance duties.
At NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, scientists have already uncovered hundreds of extremophiles—organisms that can thrive in the most inhospitable conditions on Earth—during efforts to sanitize spacecraft. The U.S. is obligated by an international agreement to avoid contaminating extraterrestrial environments, prompting NASA to ensure that Mars rovers carry no more than 300,000 bacterial spores on their surfaces. This thorough approach has identified microbes that can withstand severe heat, limited nutrients, and moisture deprivation.
To monitor potential contaminants, researchers have cataloged different types of “dead bug bodies” that might linger on spacecraft. This documentation aids in differentiating between Earth-based microorganisms and potential extraterrestrial life if a rover encounters biological materials on another planet.
One notably resilient bacterium found in a NASA cleanroom was deliberately sent to the ISS, where it faced the vacuum of space. After 18 months of exposure to cosmic radiation, **[many of its spores remained alive](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22680694/)**.
This **[forthcoming research](https://www.nasa.gov/mission/station/research-explorer/investigation/?#id=7715)** seeks to enhance our comprehension of how microbes might survive and even **[reproduce in space](https://mashable.com/article/space-sex-experiments-fertility-reproduction)**. The results could indicate which human-associated microorganisms may flourish on **[Mars](https://mashable.com/article/nasa-mars-ice-potential-microbe-habitat)** or other celestial locations during manned missions. Insights from this study could likewise impact the design of future **[spaceships](https://mashable.com/article/nasa-mars-landing-inflatable-heat-shield)** and **[spacesuits](https://mashable.com/article/new-nasa-spacesuit-axiom-space)**.
Russia’s space agency, Roscosmos, has conducted a similar study, asserting that it has found non-spore-forming bacteria growing on the ISS’s surface. Nonetheless, NASA remains cautious, questioning whether the Russian equipment experienced contamination. The U.S. space agency aims to gather its own data for comparison.
NASA astronauts routinely carry out **[quarterly studies](https://www.selectscience.net/molecular-biology-in-space-exploration)** to assess microbial presence in the ISS’s air, surfaces, and water. With advanced instruments now available on board, astronauts can identify certain microbes without needing to return samples to Earth.
In addition to scientific insights, this research could lead to practical innovations. For example, a bacterium that was previously exposed to space on the ISS is now utilized as an ingredient in **[sunscreen](https://mashable.com/article/nasa-bacteria-extremophile-sunscreen)**. NASA is optimistic that this new investigation will produce similarly valuable discoveries.