NASA is set to conduct a spacewalk on January 30, 2025, aimed at collecting samples of bacteria and fungi near the International Space Station's vents. Astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams will undertake this 6.5-hour mission to analyze how microorganisms survive in space.
The U.S. space agency is particularly interested in extremophiles—organisms that thrive in harsh environments. Despite rigorous cleaning processes, some microbes inevitably accompany spacecraft, raising questions about contamination in extraterrestrial environments. NASA has committed to an international treaty to prevent such contamination.
Current research involves examining the potential for microbes to survive and reproduce in space, which could impact future crewed missions to Mars and beyond. NASA aims to identify which human-related microorganisms might inhabit other planets, informing the design of spaceships and spacesuits.
In parallel, Russia's space agency Roscosmos has also been investigating microbial life in space, reporting non-spore-forming bacteria found outside their station. NASA remains cautious about the validity of these findings and plans to generate its own data for comparison.