“We won’t be able to completely eliminate fungi when venturing into space, onto space stations, so we need to understand them,” scientists share.
Scientists are conducting an experiment with fungi – Photo: UNOOSA
“Unexpected Guests” on the Space Station In 1988, cosmonauts aboard the Russian Mir Space Station (now decommissioned) noticed something like a “film” from outside the station covering one of their windows.
This entity even began “creeping” into the station, slowly deteriorating the quartz glass surface of the window. It was then that the astronauts discovered these were actually types of fungi inadvertently brought into space.
These fungi sought to adapt to the space environment, not only surviving but also thriving on station windows, control panels, air conditioning units, and electrical cables. They even contaminated the crew’s valuable food and drinking water supply.
This was the first time fungi were found to cause significant damage to a space station. And it wasn’t the last.
From “Foes” to Potential “Saviors”
Russia’s Mir Space Station viewed from the Space Shuttle Atlantis during the approach to the docking station on January 15, 1997 – Photo: NASA
Many species of fungi behave like detectives in space. They remain dormant during launch and the journey into space but then “activate” and reproduce to form thick carpets in various areas of the space station.
These carpets not only threaten astronauts’ health but also electronic equipment, plumbing systems, and other components on the station.
Since the 1988 incident, many efforts have been made to establish effective hygiene procedures to eliminate fungi from space stations and equipment before microorganisms cause serious damage.
Scientists also study their development and behavior in microgravity environments. They pay particular attention to their adaptability to repair DNA damage caused by space radiation – a potentially useful trait for long-duration space missions.
For example, in 2016, researchers at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California sent fungi into space for the first time to study on the International Space Station (ISS). The team investigated how the ISS environment influenced the fungus Aspergillus nidulans, leading it to produce certain molecules that it wouldn’t produce on Earth.
Recently, a group of scientists partnered with the European Space Agency (ESA) conducted experiments on fungi subjected to increased gravity to better understand how these organisms thrive in the harsh environment of space.
If scientists can decipher the mechanisms behind fungal growth, one day, the space industry may use fungi for developing space settlements or even pharmaceutical production in space.