A team of Japanese scientists discovered moss’ resilience for space travel after they germinated a clutch of moss spores that spent several months hanging outside the International Space Station, finding that over 80 percent survived the voyage and were able to germinate successfully, with results published in a study in the journal iScience. In 2022, the scientists had the moss spores hitch a ride to the International Space Station, where they spent nine months inside a special “exposure” chamber that was placed outside the vessel, according to the paper. After the moss experienced “283 days of space exposure,” the package of spores came back to Earth aboard a SpaceX resupply mission on January 2023. Scientists took the spores and grew them in a solution of agar, with over 80 percent of the spores surviving and germinating successfully. “Bryophyte could be used for planetary greening and life support systems.”More on the International Space Station: Experts Worried That Destroying the Space Station Will Damage the Earth’s Environment