In a cool mainstream find, Russian cosmonauts have discovered LIFE clinging to the outside of the International Space Station. This is the first time living organisms have been found on the space station and scientists are not sure how it got there.
The Creatures
The creatures were found during a space walk to clean the surface of the space station. The organisms seem to be a type of sea plankton, and how they remained alive in space has scientists completely baffled. According to Sploid, Russian scientists are both “shocked by [the] discovery and can’t really explain how [it] is possible.”
“Results of the experiment are absolutely unique,” Russian ISS Orbital Mission Chief Vladimir Solovyev told the ITAR-TASS News Agency. “This should be studied further.”
Not Quite Alien, But It Is Life
Whether you believe in extraterrestrials or not, this is pretty cool news, because it further shows the possibility of life in space.
Some scientists believe that the organisms were carried from the ocean by uplifting air currents. Yet, since the organisms are not native to Baikanour, Kazakhstan, where the vessel launched, many don’t believe they were brought up during flight, making it difficult to answer the question on everyone’s minds: “How did they get there?”
The organisms found on the vessel have a mouth, limbs, digestive tract, muscles, and a nervous system! Known as tardigrades, these little creatures have an amazing tolerance for harsh conditions, which makes the hypothesis that they originated in space at least plausible.
Pushing the Boundaries
No matter how you slice it, this story fascinating. For those of us who fully believe in aliens, while we may have studied all the evidence, seen UFOs ourselves, or even had more profound experiences, this discovery marks an opportunity to open the minds of those who deny any possibility of life in space.
For those of us who don’t believe in aliens at all, or life in space, this is the beginning of what can be a very interesting reflection point as to what truly is possible in our reality. Are we alone?
The truth is, we still have much to learn about our universe. Although I personally believe much is kept hidden from us, this marks a mainstream discovery that will further push the need for an openminded search for extraterrestrial life.
h/t Sploid