Syntrichia caninervis is found in some of the most extreme places on Earth and can survive conditions that would kill almost any other organism, making it a potential candidate for colonising Mars
A hardy moss found in desert locations around the globe can survive environmental conditions that are lethal to almost all other life forms, suggesting it could be the first possible pioneer species for the colonisation of Mars .
Putting this all together, the team put the moss in simulated Martian conditions, including an atmosphere composed of 95 per cent carbon dioxide, temperatures that fluctuated from -60°C to 20°C, high levels of UV radiation and low atmospheric pressure. Even after a week in the simulator, the moss was able to fully regenerate after 30 days., a toxic, corrosive chemical thought to be widespread in Martian soils.
“If there is one plant that is capable of living on Mars, it is that moss,” he says. Eldridge suspects, however, that humans could take them to Mars put them on the surface and they would continue to be alive, but barely. “It might survive, but I doubt it would thrive,” he says.at the University of Wollongong, Australia, says that although the plant could survive, it isn’t entirely clear why we would want to take the moss to Mars.
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