Sea plankton found outside International Space Station

[Shakespear]

It's not quite extraterrestrial life, but scientists have discovered sea plankton growing in space.Russian space officials have confirmed traces of plankton and other micro-organisms were found living on the exterior of the International Space Station (ISS), and it appears they've been living there for years.Russian astronaut Olek Artemyev and Alexander Skvortsov made the discovery after a routine spacewalk around the ISS, during which they took samples from illuminators on its surface, Russian news agency ITAR-TASS reported overnight. High-precision equipment later revealed the presence of micro-organisms on the wipes.Space officials claimed the plankton were not carried there at launch, but are thought to have been blown over by air currents on Earth.The particles, invisible to the naked eye, were able to survive in the vacuum of space, despite zero gravity, freezing temperatures, lack of oxygen, and cosmic radiation.Head of the Russian ISS orbital mission Vladimir Solovyev said the results of the experiment "are absolutely unique".He said the marine micro-organisms were not native to blast-off site Kazakhstan, and may have been "uplifted" to the station at an altitude of 420km."Plankton in these stages of development could be found on the surface of the oceans," he said.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/science/10402...-Space-Station

[don]

Re: Sea plankton found outside International Space Station

Life's permutations exceed our grasp.

[aaron]

Re: Sea plankton found outside International Space Station

Life's permutations exceed our grasp.

I disagree. We are gaining understanding of life on earth at an exponential speed. Much of this knowledge is inexpensive to acquire in comparison to other society expenses. I think we will have a strong grasp on life, even to the point of creating our own permutations.

http://www.itulip.com/forums/showthr...143#post270143

[photon555]

Re: Sea plankton found outside International Space Station

I agree with you, Aaron. How long before second year college students are designing and creating their own engineered life forms in basements around the world? How long before an ambitious high schooler synthesizes a lethal virus "just for fun." There's a market here for "real" virus protection, bio scanners and sterilizers.

[Chris Coles]

Re: Sea plankton found outside International Space Station

It is many years since I read the theory that all life stems from outer space; nothing since has changed my mind about that.

[don]

Re: Sea plankton found outside International Space Station

Perhaps "exceeding our grasp" was a little strong but i don't recall any call-outs for life living in space outside a controlled environment for a prolonged period of time. Did i miss it?

[Shakespear]

Re: Sea plankton found outside International Space Station

Perhaps "exceeding our grasp" was a little strong but i don't recall any call-outs for life living in space outside a controlled environment for a prolonged period of time. Did i miss it?

I suspect that the definition of "life" WE impose is the issue.

[don]

Re: Sea plankton found outside International Space Station

I suspect that the definition of "life" WE impose is the issue.

+1