Free Republic

Space exploration has entered a new era where microbial discoveries challenge our understanding of life beyond Earth. The Chinese Tiangong station recently became the site of an extraordinary finding that reads like science fiction but represents very real scientific advancement. This discovery raises fundamental questions about biological adaptation in extreme environments. Niallia tiangongensis emerges from space station samples During routine operations in May 2023, the Shenzhou-15 crew collected samples from Tiangong’s habitation module that would later reveal something unprecedented. Scientists identified a completely new bacterial species, subsequently named Niallia tiangongensis after its birthplace among the stars. This microorganism represents the...

The spacecraft Shenzhou-15, or "Divine Vessel", and its three passengers lifted off atop a Long March-2F rocket from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre at 11:08 p.m. on Tuesday amid sub-freezing temperatures in the Gobi Desert in northwest China, according to state television. Shenzhou-15 was the last of 11 missions, including three prior crewed missions, that began in April 2021 needed to assemble the "Celestial Palace", as the multi-module station is known in Chinese. The trio will take over from the Shenzhou-14 crew who arrived in early June. The previous crew members are expected to return to Earth in early December...