Microbes on a Meteorite in Orbit Point to New Path for Space Mining
TL;DR Summary
Astronauts on the ISS hosted a BioAsteroid experiment where bacteria and a fungus leached metals from crushed meteorite fragments for 19 days. After return to Earth, 18 elements were found to be released, with the fungus producing more carboxylic acids in microgravity to aid dissolution. The microbes stayed active and stable in space, suggesting biology could help future space resource extraction and support life systems beyond Earth.
- A Meteorite Spent 19 Days with Microbes on the ISS. What They Extracted Surprised Researchers The Daily Galaxy
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- Can Microorganisms Mine Asteroids? It Might Just Work, Space Experiment Finds ZME Science
- Microbes on the ISS “gnaw” on asteroids for platinum Universe Space Tech
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