China says desert moss suited to Mars as it tests hi-tech tools for space and astronauts

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Chinese researchers are studying a highly drought-resistant desert moss, Syntrichia caninervis, which survived extreme conditions in a mini space laboratory simulating microgravity, radiation, and dehydration. The experiment supports hopes for using such plants in Mars colonization.

China has hopes for a desert moss that it says could colonise Mars following a revival experiment inside a mini space laboratory that showed it was remarkably resilient, state broadcaster CCTV said on Monday. The plant, a highly drought-resistant species called Syntrichia caninervis, was revived after it was subjected to a series of extreme space conditions – including microgravity, intense radiation and severe dehydration – according to the report. Chinese scientists had previously established...