Australian researchers from RMIT University proved, that bacteria useful to humans can survive real space trials: rocket launch, several minutes of microgravity and hard braking during reentry. Within suborbital flight on the two-stage SubOrbital Express rocket 3 — M15 Bacillus subtilis spores were accelerated to ≈13g, endured ~6 min of microgravity at an altitude of approx 257 km and peak congestion during the return phase. After recovery, their viability and morphology did not differ from the control group, which indicates a high safety margin of microbes in real flight conditions.
The team emphasizes: for long-duration missions — from the Moon to Mars — stable microbiological support of the crew is critical. The result gives reason to calculate, that the key probiotic organisms will withstand the most extreme stages of the journey — from takeoff to landing. The study was carried out in collaboration with ResearchSat and Numedico, and detailed flight parameters (in t. h. angular velocity ~220°/s during entry) and counting colony-forming units (≈9.7×10⁷ versus 9.2×10⁷ in control) given in publications.
How it works? Not gentle live bacteria are sent on a flight, and their spores are a natural mode of hibernation. The spore is dried, consumes almost nothing, and inside the DNA is tightly packed with protective proteins, on top — a strong multi-layered shell. Therefore, she is almost indifferent to vibrations, sudden overloads and several minutes of weightlessness during launch and return. In the laboratory, spores are placed in small capsules with an inert carrier and fixed in a container, which partially extinguishes shocks and temperature drops. After the flight: add a nutrient medium and heat — the spore takes up water again, wakes up and starts to grow, as if nothing had happened. That is, the trick is not in the heroic endurance of ordinary cells, and in the correct form - spores, which nature created specially, to survive extreme conditions.
Why is it important? The health of the crew is the foundation of distant astronautics. If the probiotic spores reliably withstand the start / return, it opens the way to simpler and more reliable life support systems: from stable probiotics in food to closed-loop bioreactors. For astrobiology, the result sets an important baseline: if terrestrial spores are so hardy, life search missions should also consider their possible portability, and risks of introduced pollution. At the same time, information about the limits of survival of microorganisms will help to more accurately calibrate tools for detecting traces of life in harsh environments - from the Martian surface to the sub-icy oceans of satellites.
Source: https://universemagazine.com