The animal that survived outer space
This animal got launched into the vacuum of space, unprotected — and survived.
The short version
The tardigrade ('water bear') is smaller than a grain of sand and nearly indestructible — surviving near absolute zero, boiling, radiation, crushing pressure, and the vacuum of space. It can dry out into a 'tun' and switch off for up to 30 years, then revive with a drop of water.
Why it's so weird
- ✓The Tardigrade survived the raw vacuum of space, completely unprotected.
- ✓The Tardigrade can survive being frozen near absolute zero, boiled, irradiated and crushed.
- ✓The Tardigrade can dry into a ball called a tun and switch itself off for up to 30 years.
- ✓The Tardigrade is smaller than a grain of sand, yet revives with a single drop of water.
The full story
This animal got launched into the vacuum of outer space, completely unprotected, and it survived. Meet the tardigrade, also known as the water bear, and it is basically indestructible. It is smaller than a grain of sand, but it can survive almost anything that would instantly kill us. It can handle being frozen to nearly absolute zero, boiled past the boiling point, blasted with radiation, and crushed by pressure deeper than the bottom of the ocean. When things get really bad, it just squeezes out all of its water, curls into a tiny ball called a tun, and basically switches itself off for up to thirty years. Then you add a single drop of water, and it comes right back to life. A microscopic creature that simply refuses to die. Follow for more weird animals.
Watch the 45-second version
Tardigrade gallery
