Yes—some tardigrades have survived brief, controlled exposure to space, but that does not mean they can live or remain active there indefinitely. In the best-known test, desiccated tardigrades spent 10 days in low Earth orbit. Those exposed to vacuum alone survived at rates not significantly different from laboratory controls after rehydration; adding solar ultraviolet radiation sharply reduced survival.
What does “survive in space” mean?
In the TARDIS experiment, survival was assessed after the animals returned from orbit and were rehydrated. The finding is that some tardigrades endured a defined exposure and revived—not that they were active, feeding, or thriving in open space.
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The experiment also separated different hazards. Vacuum-only samples were not exposed to the same conditions as samples that received added solar UV. That distinction matters: the vacuum-only group did well, while UV exposure caused substantial mortality.
What the TARDIS experiment tested
Researchers flew the TARDIS (Tardigrada In Space) experiment on the European Space Agency’s Biopan-6 platform during the FOTON-M3 mission in September 2007. Desiccated adults of two species—Richtersius coronifer and Milnesium tardigradum—were exposed in low Earth orbit, about 258–281 km above Earth, for 10 days. The samples also received ionizing solar and galactic cosmic radiation.
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Flight groups experienced vacuum alone, vacuum plus UV-A/UV-B (280–400 nm), or vacuum plus a broader UV range (116.5–400 nm). Desiccated controls remained in laboratory conditions. After the flight, researchers rehydrated the animals and assessed survival and reproduction. The study’s results apply to these species and these experimental conditions, not to every tardigrade or every possible space exposure. Jönsson et al., Current Biology (2008).
How did vacuum and ultraviolet light affect survival?
| Exposure group | What happened after rehydration |
|---|---|
| Vacuum alone | Both tested species survived well, with no significant difference in survival pattern from the controls. |
| Vacuum plus UV-A/UV-B (280–400 nm) | 68% of M. tardigradum initially revived within 30 minutes, but mortality afterward was high. Only one R. coronifer revived. |
| Vacuum plus the broader UV range (116.5–400 nm) | Three M. tardigradum survived; no R. coronifer survived. |
The 68% figure describes initial revival in one treatment for one species; it is not a general survival rate. The later deaths show why initial revival and subsequent survival are different outcomes. In the most severe UV treatment, survival was also species-dependent.
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Does this mean tardigrades can survive any space hazard?
No. The study supports a narrower conclusion: some desiccated tardigrades survived a 10-day low-Earth-orbit exposure under particular conditions. It does not establish indefinite survival, survival by all species, or immunity to radiation. It also does not show that active animals withstand the same combination of vacuum and UV tested in TARDIS.
ESA’s TARDIS project leader, Ingemar Jönsson, summarized the vacuum result this way: “Our principle finding is that the space vacuum, which entails extreme dehydration and cosmic radiation, were not a problem for water bears.” That statement concerns the vacuum finding; the study also found that added solar UV sharply reduced survival. European Space Agency, “Tiny animals survive exposure to space”.
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How do other tardigrade space experiments fit in?
A separate FOTON-M3 experiment, TARSE, studied the species Macrobiotus richtersi in both desiccated and hydrated states during a 12-day flight in September 2007. Its report says microgravity and radiation did not affect survival or DNA integrity of active animals in the reported comparison. These findings should not be combined with TARDIS: TARSE involved a different species, states, and comparisons, and does not replace TARDIS’s specific tests of vacuum and UV exposure. Rebecchi et al., Astrobiology (2009).
ESA also reports that tardigrades and lichens spent months attached to the outside of the International Space Station and returned alive. Its overview does not provide a detailed tardigrade protocol or species-specific result for that statement, so it is broad context rather than a direct comparison with TARDIS. European Space Agency, “Exobiology”.
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