Three Years on the ISS Exterior: Deinococcus radiodurans Survives Space Exposure, Igniting Massapanspermia and Planetary-Protection Debate
To the point
Led by Akihiko Yamagishi, Deinococcus radiodurans survived years on panels outside the ISS with inner cells shielded by outer layers, fueling discussions of microbes traveling between planets and the idea of massapanspermia, though Nathalie Cabrol and Natalie Grefenstette caution this is not proven and planetary protection remains crucial.