Meet the Tardigrade. This microscopic, multi-celled invertebrate animal, also known as a water bear or moss piglet, has been launched into space on projects to see how spaceflight affects organisms on the molecular level. Famous for being a polyextremophile, the water bear has been reported to live more than 100 years without food and water, by assuming a dehydrated, hibernation-like state called cryptobiosis.
When it comes to durability, nothing on Earth can match the very real “Water Bear”.Tardigrades can also survive as high as 5,000 grays or 500,000 rads of ionizing radiation, though above 100,000 rads does seem to make them sterile. For reference, humans die around a “mere” 1,000-2,000 rads and will suffer significant damage with much less.
When it comes to durability, nothing on Earth can match the very real “Water Bear”.Tardigrades can also survive as high as 5,000 grays or 500,000 rads of ionizing radiation, though above 100,000 rads does seem to make them sterile. For reference, humans die around a “mere” 1,000-2,000 rads and will suffer significant damage with much less.
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