Tardigrades have a reputation for being nearly indestructible. These microscopic animals, often nicknamed water bears, can ...

Study in the International Journal of Astrobiology tests how water bears survive in simulated Mars soil, revealing how regolith may limit Earth microbes and what it means for planetary protection and ...

Learn how recycled sewage may help turn moon and Mars soil into fertile ground for growing food in space.

Researchers found that treated sewage could turn moon and Mars dirt into soil that can support growing plants. The post ...

Tardigrades, commonly known as water bears, may be better suited by a new name: Tardiguardians of the Galaxy. Unlike the fictional ragtag team of unenthusiastic heroes, the microscopic animals are ...

Scientists show recycled human waste can unlock nutrients in Martian dust, offering a new path for farming on Mars.

Mars has long been painted as a dead world of dust and radiation, a place where human visitors would survive only inside thick metal cans. A wave of new research on bizarre, ultra‑tough microbes from ...

Two weeks ago, the world marveled when the Phoenix survived a 420 million-mile space journey and landed on Mars, right where it was supposed to. Now it's expected to analyze Martian soil to determine ...

Mars’ frozen ice caps may be time capsules for ancient life. Lab experiments show that key building blocks of proteins can survive tens of millions of years in pure ice, even under relentless cosmic ...