Tardigrades, often called water bears, belong to the phylum of eight-legged segmented micro-animals. These remarkable creatures have garnered attention due to their astonishing resilience. They possess the ability to endure extreme conditions, surviving both scorching heat up to 150°C and near-zero freezing temperatures.
In April 2019, an intriguing chapter was added to their story when SpaceX launched them to the Moon aboard the Israeli spacecraft Beresheet lunar lander. The Arch Mission Foundation, responsible for this unique payload, took careful measures to prepare the tardigrades for their lunar journey. These resilient micro-animals were dehydrated, effectively entering a state of suspended animation, and then encased in artificial amber-like material.
Despite the Beresheet lunar lander's unfortunate crash during its descent, the tardigrades' robust nature and their unique preservation method have led scientists to believe that they might have survived the crash.
