Researchers from the Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, part of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, have identified a moss species that could suit long-duration space habitats. The plant is Syntrichia caninervis, commonly called steppe twisted moss. The findings appeared in the scientific journal Innovation.
Syntrichia caninervis is known for thriving in some of the toughest places on Earth, including high-altitude Tibetan regions, polar areas, and arid desert-steppe landscapes. Its hardiness makes it a candidate for environments where food and life-support systems would be limited and variable.
To assess its cold tolerance, researchers subjected the moss to extreme freezing. Samples were stored at minus 80 degrees Celsius in ultra-low-temperature freezers for three and five years, and at minus 196 degrees Celsius in liquid nitrogen for 15 and 30 days.
Across all tested conditions, the moss recovered after thawing. However, the pace of recovery was slower than that of control specimens that had been dehydrated but not frozen, suggesting some lasting stress from the freezing process.
Further tests indicated that Syntrichia caninervis can tolerate exposure to gamma radiation levels that would be lethal to most plants. In fact, doses around 500 gy have been shown to not only withstand radiation but also, in some cases, spur growth. By comparison, a human exposure of about 50 gy can be fatal.
According to the researchers, the moss’s resistance to a wide range of environmental stresses appears to exceed that of some microorganisms and tardigrades, highlighting its notable robustness.
Experts stress that Syntrichia caninervis holds significant promise for Mars exploration. Its resilience to extreme conditions could support life-support strategies or act as a model for resilient plant systems in harsh extraterrestrial settings.
Earlier investigations explored methods for growing vegetables in Martian soil, demonstrating that plant cultivation on the red planet is scientifically plausible under controlled conditions.