newscientistspace.com — According to a report lichens can survive in space for up to two weeks. An experiment carried out by the European Space Agency saw two species of lichen carried into orbit and then exposed to the vacuum of space for nearly 15 days.
Nov 10, 2005 View in Crawl 4
Closed AccountNov 11, 2005
For those of you that do not want to look up what a Lichen actually is - like i had too - here is the def:Lichens are symbiotic organisms made up by the association of microscopic green algae or cyanobacteria and filamentous fungi. Lichens take the external shape of the fungal partner and hence are named based on the fungus. The fungus most commonly forms the majority of the lichen's bulk, though in filamentous and gelatinous lichens this may not always be the case.
mightymouseNov 11, 2005Staff
"Why did the fungi and the algae get together?They took a lichen to each other!"ahaahahahahahahahha ahahahahaahaaahaa classic
crimNov 11, 2005
The point is that a lifeform can survive in the harsh environment of space. If one type of life can survive 15 days then it follows that another type of life may be able to survive longer. Interplanetary cross pollination might be possible, as may a form of interstellar life.
lonestarNov 11, 2005
the new space suit, it's less than a micrometer thick, Lichens!!! cover yur bodies with em, take your laptop, a wireless router, and maybe you too will survive in space
troydoogle7Nov 11, 2005
"I might be excited about this, but I fail to see the applications." Your Great great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-grandpa may have been a lichen.... it would be nice to know what possible lifeforms can survive in space and hence bring life to the planets!
beefandbeerNov 11, 2005
This reminds of Jenova from Final Fantasy 7.