Bacteria 'from Outer Space' Found on Space Station, Cosmonaut Says: Report

[Judi Lynn]

By Mike Wall, Space.com Senior Writer | November 28, 2017 08:47pm ET

Scientists have detected living bacteria "from outer space" in samples collected from the exterior of the International Space Station (ISS) during spacewalks, cosmonaut Anton Shkaplerov told Russia's state-owned TASS news agency.

These spacewalks were conducted by cosmonauts, who collected material from the Russian part of the ISS using cotton swabs, which were sent to Earth for analysis, Shkaplerov said.

"And now it turns out that somehow these swabs reveal bacteria that were absent during the launch of the ISS module," Shkaplerov told TASS. "That is, they have come from outer space and settled along the external surface. They are being studied so far, and it seems that they pose no danger."

In the brief TASS report, Shkaplerov does not elaborate on how the Russian researchers arrived at their extraterrestrial conclusion. As CNET notes, it seems like Earthly contamination would be tough to rule out, given how hardy many microorganisms tend to be. Some bacteria, and tiny micro-animals known as tardigrades, have demonstrated the ability to survive for extended periods in the harsh conditions of space.

More:
https://www.space.com/38922-extraterrestrial-bacteria-international-space-station.html?utm_source=notification

[diva77]

1. kind of scary looking with those clawed-feet!!!

[Igel]

3. Ah. I knew I should have looked at the link before reading the comments.

Bad Igel.

At first I thought maybe you were referring to the Russians.

At least the current scandal-fetish has drive most kneejerk Russophobia out of the top posts.

(I find it awkward to have gone from being in the minority in thinking Russia hostile to not saying it's as all-powerful as many think. It's like being in a bathtub with ice-cubes, complaining about the temperature, then a short time later saying that I'm being scalded. Now, were I a tardigrade, I'd barely notice.)

[Binkie The Clown]

2. How many times have I read "Russian Scientists Claim..." followed by the most ridiculous, and

unsubstantiated nonsense imaginable?

Frankly, anything coming from "Russian scientists" is immediately suspect in my book. They have a terrible track record of jumping to outrageous conclusions based on little or no evidence.

[defacto7]

4. Haven't they ever seen Andromeda Strain?

Those FOOLS!

[C_U_L8R]

5. Tardigrade... or...