The moon has been the focus of mankind's endless reverie since ancient times. Unfortunately, although there is no legendary Chang'e, there is a real creature in modern lunar exploration stories, the water bear, which accidentally became a "guest" of the moon due to a failed exploration.
Israel's lunar probe crashed into the moon uncontrollably during landing. Scientists estimate that the pressure at the time of impact was as high as 1.01 Gpa. This number is well beyond the limits of what many creatures can handle, but tardigrades are known for their unique "cryptogenic" abilities.
"Cryptophytic" refers to the fact that an organism enters a dormant-like state in an extreme environment. This ability of the tardigrade has made it highly regarded in the scientific community. Both the medical field and space exploration could benefit from this.
However, experts have reservations about whether the tardigrades will survive a lunar impact. They believe that even if the tardigrades have incredible survival skills, such a high-speed impact could be fatal.
After the crash of the tardispeller carried by the probe, its fate attracted a lot of attention. Scientists speculate that the tardigrades may not have multiplied on the surface of the moon, but instead entered a dormant state.
Studies have shown that even at an impact speed of 901 meters per second, tardigrades struggle to survive. Such an impact is enough to crush hard rock.
Still, the extreme survivability of tardigrades has attracted scientists to delve into it. How they survive in such a harsh environment has become a hot topic of scientific inquiry.
Water bears have a long history, they have been on Earth for more than half a billion years. During these long years, they have experienced countless mass extinctions, and they have survived with their tenacity to this day.
Their DNA may be hiding the secret of cosmic existence. Scientists are studying the genetic material of tardigrades, hoping to help astronauts defend themselves against the powerful radiation in the space environment.
The failure of the lunar probe was sponsored by a private Israeli company. The failure of the probe has given us profound revelations.
Scientists are also experimentally simulating a probe crash to study the limits of the water bears. They wanted to know if these tiny creatures could survive such a violent impact.
Not only is the resilience of the tardigrades amazing, but the possibility of surviving under the impact pressure of 1.01 Gpa, it also challenges our understanding of the limits of life.
While there is no Chang'e on the moon today, there may be tardigrades in the far reaches of the universe that continue their life in a way we can't imagine.