Microbiological Investigation of the Space Dust Collected from the External Surfaces of the International Space Station

Abstract

© 2020, Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature. The article presents results of the microbiological investigation conducted jointly by the Russian State Space Corporation ROSCOSMOS and the Russian Academy of Sciences. This study was aimed on detecting viable microorganisms on the outer surface of the International Space Station the during astronauts’ extravehicular activities. A specific environment has developed around the International Space Station over the extended period of operation, which could possibly create conditions for the preservation of biological structures. To investigate this possibility, space dust was sampled from the surfaces of the Russian segment of the International Space Station by the TEST sampler during several spacewalk sessions. Microorganism culturing, detection, and subsequent microbial identification were carried out using both microbiological and molecular genetic methods. During the course of research investigation, viable spores of the microorganisms were periodically detected in the samples taken on the outer surface of the International Space Station. Among samples taken in 2016, a consortium of non-spore-forming bacteria was found on the outside of the porthole, which consisted of Agrococcus jenensis, Skermanella aerolata, Deinococcus aerolatus, and Staphylococcus hominis. The results of the space experiment TEST demonstrate the possibility of obtaining unique data on the preservation of the viable microorganisms in the natural conditions of open space at an altitude of 400 km from the Earth.