Bacteria Never Seen on Earth Found Aboard China’s Space Station
In a plot twist straight out of a sci-fi movie, Chinese astronauts have discovered a previously unknown form of bacteria lurking inside the Tiangong space station, and it doesn’t exist on Earth.
The unidentified microbe was found after scientists analyzed swabs taken from various surfaces inside the orbital lab. What they found was a bacteria that appears to thrive in low Earth orbit, forming protective biofilms that act like biological force fields, shielding it from radiation and extreme temperatures.
So yes, it’s alien-ish, it’s tough, and it’s currently hitching a ride around our planet.
Researchers are now scrambling to figure out two key things: How to protect the astronauts from the mystery microbe. And how to keep it from ever reaching Earth.
No word yet on whether it’s dangerous, but when even the experts say the situation “mirrors science fiction,” it’s safe to say everyone’s side-eyeing the re-entry hatch.
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