Scientists have identified a Class A super-hardy desert moss native to western China’s Xinjiang region could help support potential colonies on Mars, according to a study by the Chinese Academy of Sciences. When exposed to conditions simulating the Martian environment, the moss— Syntricia Caninervis – It was able to withstand extreme drought, extremely low temperatures and radiation, the academy reported in a research article published in the journal. Innovation last week.
Moss can serve as a “base for creation and maintenance”. environmental systemContributing to the production and isolation of oxygen carbon and soil fertility,” the researchers say in the study published July 1.
“This may help drive the atmospheric, geological and ecological processes necessary for plants and other higher animals, while also facilitating the creation of new habitable environments conducive to long-term human settlement,” the study adds.
In the research, scientists discovered that even after losing more than 98% of its cellular water content, the algae was able to restore photosynthetic and physiological activities within seconds of being rehydrated.
When healthy, the plant can also withstand extremely low temperatures and regenerate after being stored in a refrigerator at minus 80 degrees Celsius (minus 112 degrees Fahrenheit) for five years or in liquid nitrogen for a month. The moss can be found in Xinjiang, Tibet, the California desert, the Middle East, and polar regions.
The space race has prompted China and the United States to launch exploration plans in recent years. Chinese missions include launching the near-Earth asteroid probe Tianwen-2 next year and Tianwen-3 around 2030 to retrieve samples from Mars. Last month, China collected samples from the far side of the moon.
In the United States, NASA has developed a 20-year plan for Mars, seeking to find out whether the Red Planet is habitable for humans.
