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Technology Stocks : SpaceX

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From: Savant	5/22/2025 11:13:54 AM
	of 3102

RT...critters in space...something to consider about heading into space/moon/Mars/other to live>> Unknown Species of Bacteria Discovered in China's Space Station Swabs from China's Tiangong space station reveal traces of a bacterium unseen on Earth, with characteristics that may help it function under stressful environmental conditions hundreds of kilometers above the planet's surface. Naming their discovery after the station, researchers from the Shenzhou Space Biotechnology Group and the Beijing Institute of Spacecraft System Engineering say the study of Niallia tiangongensis and similar species could be " essential" in protecting astronaut health and spacecraft functionality over long missions. The swabs were taken from a cabin on board the space station in May 2023 by the Shenzhou-15 crew as part of one of two surveys by the China Space Station Habitation Area Microbiome Programme. Follow-up studies have traced the growth of microbes that inhabit the space station environment, revealing a microbiome that differs in both composition and function from the one found on the International Space Station. The new species appears to be a close cousin to a known strain called Niallia circulans – a rod-shaped, soil-dwelling bacterium that just a few years ago was reallocated to a new genus classification, having previously been regarded as a pathogenic form of Bacillus. Like species of Bacillus, N. circulans and its space-faring relatives pack their essential chemistry into hardy spores to survive times of great stress. It's not clear whether N. tiangongensis evolved on the station or arrived in spore form with at least a few of its distinguishing features in place. There's also not a great deal we can do about it. An examination of the 'clean rooms' NASA used to prepare the Mars Phoenix mission revealed dozens of microbe strains belonging to 26 novel species. It's yet to be determined whether Niallia tiangongensis poses any threat to the health of Tiangong's astronauts, but given its cousin's ability to cause sepsis in immunocompromised patients and its newfound ability to break down gelatin, the potential for health problems from this and other space microbes is a serious issue. With eyes on launching missions to the Moon and beyond, it's never been more important to know how the tiny passengers sharing our space may be suited to a life far from home. Unknown Species of Bacteria Discovered in China's Space Station

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