Scientists Found the First Plant That Might Survive on Mars

Added: 2026-05-26

[00:00:00]Scientists have identified a desert moss, Syntrichia caninervis, that might be one of the first organisms capable of surviving on Mars.

[00:00:07]And it's not just surviving, it's adapting, which would be a big step forward in terraforming the planet for humans. [music] In lab simulations, the moss survived near Martian conditions, low pressure, high carbon dioxide, intense UV radiation, and temperatures as low as -196°C.

[00:00:25]of its water, it rehydrated and resumed photosynthesis, and it only took about 2 seconds. Just a week after these conditions, the moss didn't just survive, it started regenerating and growing green branches. This is incredible because Mars lacks oxygen and life-sustaining [music] soil, but while that moss is showing signs of creating soil over time, one of Earth's toughest organisms is [music] falling on its ass under the same conditions, tardigrades.

[00:00:51]They were also placed in the Martian soil simulants, and within 4 days they became inactive and died, [music] primarily from toxic mineral particles in the sand, which is what would happen to all of us unless we become moss man.

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