Microscopic animals called tardigrades are among the few lifeforms thought capable of surviving the intense radiation, extreme temperatures, and life-sucking vacuum of outer space. Even their eggs can survive space-like conditions, hinting at the possibility of successful hatches on other planets.

“[I]f we are to assess the ability of tardigrades to survive transfer among planets or to thrive in extreme environments, they must be able to reproduce,” wrote astrobiologists who tested tardigrades in a study published April 10 in Astrobiology.

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