Welt der Welt: Humane Bakterien ertragen Raketenstart und Wiedereintritt, Steigerung Mars Hopes | Das Experiment zeigt, dass gute Bakterien hart genug sind, um den Start, kurze Mikrogravitation und Wiedereintrittsphasen zu ertragen.

From the article: A “world’s first study” has demonstrated that bacterial spores can withstand the extreme forces associated with a space launch.

Researchers at RMIT University in Melbourne have proved the resilience of Bacillus subtilis, a bacterium vital for human health.

It confirms that this bacteria is tough enough to endure launch, brief microgravity, and re-entry phases.

A major challenge for sustaining life on the Red Planet has been the unknown fate of vital bacteria during the long journey. This study alleviates those concerns.

“Our research showed an important type of bacteria for our health can withstand rapid gravity changes, acceleration, and deacceleration,” said Elena Ivanova, study co-author, in the press release on October 6.

“It’s broadened our understanding of the effects of long-term spaceflight on microorganisms that live in our bodies and keep us healthy,” Ivanova added.

Humans have managed short stays in space since the 1970s, but Mars is a completely different world.

Microorganisms are hailed as a major biological support system to sustain healthy human life for a future Mars colony over decades.

B. subtilis and similar bacteria could help maintain the immune system, gut health, and blood circulation.

However, the key question has been whether beneficial bacteria can withstand the years-long, radiation-intensive journey through deep space.

This survival is threatened by intense space radiation (Galactic Cosmic Rays and Solar Particle Events), which can damage microbial DNA. Furthermore, the microgravity may lead to behavioral changes in bacteria, which would be detrimental to astronaut health.

This new study is a positive step in understanding the survival of bacteria.

For the study, spores of B. subtilis were launched to the edge of space aboard a sounding rocket.

The bacteria’s resilience was studied during a rapid ascent with forces up to 13g (13 times Earth’s gravity). The payload endured over six minutes of microgravity (weightlessness) at about 260 kilometers in the test.

During the re-entry, the rocket faced extreme conditions, including deceleration forces of up to 30g upon re-entry, while simultaneously spinning about 220 times per second.

After all this time, the bacteria grew normally and maintained their original structure after the experiment. This short survival signals a promising future for astronaut health during extended space missions.