With their stocky bodies and stubby legs, you wouldn’t think tardigrades make particularly good astronauts. But NASA still sent them into space in 2021 on board the ISS, where they orbited the Earth around 7,000 times. Why? These eight-legged creatures, smaller than a grain of sand, are among the most resilient species in the animal kingdom. They can withstand extreme temperatures as well as the vacuum of space or intense radioactive radiation. Their droll appearance has made them media stars, while their enormous resilience fascinates scientists. Not only in space, but also in Japan, the USA, France, Italy and Germany, research is being carried out into the tardigrades' survival strategies. A "sex tape" has even been made of their extremely unusual mating behavior. Some of the secrets behind the tardigrade's "superpowers" have now been revealed. For example, as if at the touch of a button, the creatures can produce a kind of gel that protects them from drying out. If the tardigrade is exposed to radioactive radiation, a protein called Dsup protects its DNA and shields it. Discoveries like these open up new perspectives for medical research. Thanks to the cute tardigrades, it may even be possible to find a way to send humans to Mars in the future. The survivalists show that life is possible everywhere - even where it seems unimaginable.
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