China has transported living microorganisms to the Tiangong space station, which will help researchers in the country study the possibility of life beyond Earth
January 19
2024
– 2:12 pm
(Updated at 4:42 p.m.)
China launched the Tianzhou-7 cargo ship on Wednesday (17) towards it Tiangong Space Station. The spacecraft took many supplies and scientific experiments to the orbiting laboratory, which traveled with a more special cargo: microorganisms from the archaebacteria group.
These organisms are among the oldest life forms on Earth, and are largely responsible for the methane in our planet's atmosphere. They are found entirely in anaerobic (oxygen-free) environments, such as the stomachs of similar animals and rice fields.
Dong Xiuzhou, a researcher at the Institute of Microbiology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, explains that this type of microorganism was chosen to “go on an adventure in space” because it can survive on only hydrogen and carbon dioxide. These compounds then turn into methane gas.
Conditions such as Tiangong's exposure to space radiation, microgravity, extreme temperatures, etc. will help researchers analyze the possibility of the survival of these primitive life forms. Using the data, they can explore the possibility of life on other worlds, Like Mars.
Life on Mars
The discovery was made by NASA's Curiosity spacecraft Signs of methane, the source of which is still unclearThese emissions may have come from biological and geological processes. Thus, if methane-producing bacteria can survive in extreme environments and show robust growth while producing the gas, there is a possibility that such organisms could survive outside our planet.
“This perception [da sobrevivência das bactérias produtoras de metano] “The methane detected on Mars likely has a biological origin, which indicates the possibility of a common origin between life on Mars and Earth,” Liu Zhou, a professor in the Department of Earth System Science at Tsinghua University, noted. .
source: Global Times
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