Chinese astronauts study ancient microbes aboard Tiangong space station (video) | Space

Chinese astronauts aboard the Tiangong space station are studying anaerobic archaea in an experiment to determine if some of Earth’s early forms of life can handle a simulated cosmic environment.

Shenzhou 18 crewmembers — commander Ye Guangfu and crewmates Li Cong and Li Guangsu — have been aboard the Tiangong space station since late April and have been busy conducting spacewalks and running experiments.

That scientific work includes research on space radiation damage and adaptability of anaerobic archaea, as a newly released video shows.

The archaea are a domain of single-celled organisms and one of Earth’s oldest lifeforms. The archaea used in the Tiangong experiment consume hydrogen and carbon dioxide, in turn producing methane as a waste product.

The research aims to test their survival under Mars-like conditions and extreme cosmic radiation, contributing to the search for alien life, according to a report from Chinese state-run broadcaster CCTV.

Methane, a potential biomarker but also a gas produced by geological processes, has been detected on Mars a number of times and is of great interest to scientists. Similar experiments have been sent to the International Space Station (ISS) as part of research into the potential for life to exist beyond Earth.

The…