Space Fungi Are Attacking The Space Stations Rhawn Gabriel Joseph

Cosmology.com



In 1988, Russian cosmonauts noticed thatfrom outer space was growing on the outside window of the Mir space station. It was alive, forming a thick living mat, and growing so quickly, that it soon became difficult to see outside. But even more frightening:wasits way through the window's titanium quartz surface and was trying to get inside. Later, Natalia Novikova, a Russian microbiologist, determined that this living, pulsating, mass of tissue was fungus; fungi from space.



Various types of fungi, and a host of other organisms, are perfectly adapted for surviving in the radiation intense environment of space, which is 500 times that of Earth. Most likely, these space-organisms journey through space, as spores. But once they come in contact with meteors, asteroids, space craft and space stations, they awaken from their long dormant slumber, and begin to eat and multiply. Fungi can devour metals, plastics, glass, and other living creatures, including humans; and space stations offer not just a tasty treat but an environment within which these space-foraging organisms thrive.







Bacteria and fungi growing in the Space Station



Figure 10: Fungi/bacteria and microbiological damage to aluminum in the Space Station. Note the many holes



Figure 11: Fungi and microbiological damage to a fire suppression gauge in the Space Station:



Figure 12: Fungi and microbiological damage in the Space Station:







Bacteria and fungi growing in the Space Station







Bacteria and fungi growing on wiring in the Space Station





Spores are microscopic and so small they can dig their way inside by tunneling through microscopic holes; and coupled with the opening of ports to allow astronauts and supplies inside, it is via these routes that space fungi and space bacteria began to infiltrate the Mir space station, like an invading army. Thus, the Mir quickly became host to an incredible array of fungi and bacteria which were rapidly spreading throughout and eating the craft. Multi-colored fungal-bacterial mats were eating the control panels and digesting the communications unit, the ship's air conditioner, the rubber gaskets around windows, components of space suits, cable insulations and tubing, and getting into the food and water supply.

Dr. Novikova described these organisms as "dangerously aggressive." But even more disturbing: they were proving impossible to eradicate.

NASA's official response, at that time, was denial. However, that attitude began to change in 1997, when US astronaut Jerry Linenger reported ''an overgrowth of fungus throughout the Mir." Linenger, an M.D. with a doctorate in epidemiology, used a standard NASA test to determine fungal counts on surfaces within the space shuttles and then applied it to the Mir. "For the shuttle," he explained, "the samples are placed in a medium so their growth can be tracked over several days." But on Mir, he said, not only was the craft overrun with fungi and bacterial mats, but when he tested a sample, the organisms were growing so rapidly that within hours they had filled the container and had grown up and over the sides. Linenger wrote a book ''Off the Planet,'' about his experiences and reported that the entire Mir space craft had ''a strong smell of fungal contamination'' and that there were many areas so thick with fungi that he became concerned about his health; and, he warned about the risks to other astronauts whose immune systems may become weakened by long stays in space.

The risks are not just contamination with pathogens. Bio-corroding organisms secrete a variety of corrosive agents like acetic acid that not only damages metal, glass, and other equipment but which release toxins into the environment which includes humans.

Subsequently, upon completion of the International Space Station (ISS) astronauts aboard began observing signs of fungal contamination. Bacteria and fungal masses were soon growing everywhere, much to the astonishment of NASA astronauts who openly wondered: "Where does all this stuff come from?"--a reasonable question indeed, as nothing like this had ever been experienced on Earth before; not even within the enclosed environments of submarines.

NASA--when faced with this evidence and the public statements of astronauts who complained about huge masses of bacteria and fungi, some as large as baseballs--grudgingly admitted to the truth, but then dismissed the possibility these super organisms came from space--even though it has been repeatedly proven that fungi, bacteria, and other organisms can survive outside the space stations.

If not from space, where did these fast growing, highly aggressive organisms come from? According to NASA, these bacteria and fungi were attached to the hair, skin, and clothing of the astronauts; and to eradicate this problem, they put into place an ''aggressive'' prevention program, which, however, failed to effectively eradicate these super- radiation-loving organisms which also turned out to have a high resistance to anti-fungal and anti-bacterial agents. So, although according to NASA, these organisms are from Earth, they cannot be killed off by substances which eradicate similar organisms found on Earth.

Space fungi are adapted to living in the highly radioactive environment of space, and are aided by their ability to synthesize melanin which protects them from even deadly levels of radiation which they likely use as an energy source. As determined by Ekaterina Dadachova, and colleagues (2007) "Many fungi constitutively synthesize melanin which... confers a survival advantage... by protecting against UV and solar radiation. Melanized microorganisms... and... biological pigments play a major role in photosynthesis by converting the energy of light into chemical energy. Chlorophylls and carotenoids absorb light of certain wavelengths and help convert photonic energy into chemical energy during photosynthesis. Given that melanins can absorb visible and UV light of all wavelengths... exposure to ionizing radiation change the electronic properties of melanin and affect the growth of melanized microorganisms... and enhanced growth of melanized fungi under conditions of radiation flux." In other words, high levels of radiation are a food source which can be turned into energy.

More specifically, melanin-rich species of fungi thrive in space environments because ionizing radiation alters and enhances the oxidation-reduction potential of melanin which is then able to produce a continuous electric current--radiation provides energy to these organisms.

On the other hand, fungi can eat just about anything.

Space fungi and space bacteria, not only contaminate space craft and space stations, but asteroids, meteors, moons, and planets; including Earth. As there is no evidence life began on Earth, and considerable evidence that life on Earth came from space, then it can be concluded that spores from space commonly come into contact with Earth's upper atmosphere, and no doubt drift down until coming in contact with an edible surface, at which point they germinate and go forth and multiply, and in so doing, adapting to the relatively low levels of radiation on this planet.

For example, fungi, bacteria, and other organisms found inside the space stations include members of the genera Aspergillus, Penicillium, and Cladesporium which are all common on Earth. However, fungi and bacteria have been found growing in pools of radioactive waste when such material did not exist on this planet before 1944. Where did these creatures come from? They most likely fell from space.

The fungi and bacteria found inside the space stations are highly aggressive and have damaged electronic equipment, wiring, copper cables and even polyurethane surfaces. Although bio-corrosion is common on this planet, these space-organisms are far more dangerous than their cousins on Earth.

Although, undoubtedly, many of the organisms found growing inside the space stations were transported there by astronauts, the same cannot be offered as an explanation for the super-aggressive fungi and bacteria discovered growing not only on the outside of the windows of the Mir, but the ISS.

In 2014, Russian officials (including ISS official Vladimir Solovyov) reported the discovery of fungi, bacteria, algae (cyanobacteria) and trace amounts of specimens which resembled "plankton" on the outside of the International Space Station. NASA immediately responded with a flurry of ridicule and denial: "As far as we're concerned, we haven't heard any official reports from our Roscosmos colleagues that they've found sea plankton," NASA spokesman Dan Huot said. However, when pressed, Huot admitted: "The Russians did take samples from one of the windows on the Russian segment, and what they're actually looking for is residues that can build up on the visually sensitive elements, like windows, as well as just the hull of the ship itself... That's what they were taking samples for. I don't know where all the sea plankton talk is coming from." When Russian officials stood by their claims, NASA then released a statement that "the plankton, if confirmed, could be a contaminant launched into space with the space station module." Yes, "could be" if the space station had first been soaked in ocean water--but that didn't happen.







Collecting biological specimens on the outside windows of the Space Station





Admittedly, the competence of NASA's "planetary protection officer" has been challenged, and she has been accused of not doing her job; i.e. seeing to it that all space vehicles are sterilized. However, the fact is, all space craft are pumped full of ethylene oxide and methyl chloride, which are lethal to most microorganisms. Astronauts are also quarantined to reduce exposure to germs. Likewise, space station crews vacuum not just the transport vehicles, but regularly dose all surfaces with disinfectant. And yet, virulent and highly aggressive bacteria and fungi not only flourish and thrive inside the space stations, but grow outside and then tunnel their way in where they can then feast on everything inside: metals, plastics, fabrics, other organisms including the breath, perspiration, and bodies of astronauts, while continuing to be dosed with high levels of radiation (in a low gravity space-like environment) which they can turn into reproductive energy.

Although NASA, with its culture of denial, finally admitted to the existence of these space-loving microorganisms, the Russians have been studying space microorganisms since 1980, when cosmonauts discovered growth of a whitish substance aboard the Salyut 6 space station, which turned out to be fungi and bacteria. Likewise, in 1985, the Salyut 7 space station was contaminated by a highly aggressive fungi which began destroying plastic panels and wiring.

Because astronauts and doctors have voiced concern about contagion and disease, NASA has been stepping up its efforts to eradicate space fungi and space bacteria, including equipping the ISS with high-efficiency air filters; which, however, quickly became clogged with a wide variety of super-organisms including pathogenic species, belonging, for example, to the Actinobacteria phylum (e.g. Corynebacterium and Propionibacterium)--organisms which pose a serious health hazard to astronauts. NASA called the discovery "problematic." Fact is, astronauts suffer a variety of stresses which affect their health, hearts, eyes, and skeletal system, all of which weakens the immune system, making them susceptible to disease. It is even more "problematic" for astronauts who may someday journey through deep space for long time periods; conditions which may result in an explosion of pathogenic organisms from space and the death of those on board.

The fact is, over 200 species of bacteria and fungi can survive long-term exposure to space--capabilities they, or rather, than ancestors could only have evolved while living in space.

As recently as the 1970s, NASA was denying that anything could live at the bottom of the ocean, only to be proved wrong. Life is resilient, and has been found living in every conceivable environment. Moreover, bacteria and other microoganisms have been discovered 25, 35, and even over 40 miles above our planet; some of which appears to be slowly drifting down from the thermosphere.

In January of 2015, Dr. Novikova reported "the effects of solar radiation combined with the spaceflight factors on biological objects... on the outer surface of ISS. After more than 1 year of outer space exposure, the spores of microorganisms and fungi, as well as two species of plant seeds were analysed for viability and the... experiment provided evidence that not only bacterial and fungal spores but also dormant forms of plants had the capability to survive a long-term exposure to outer space."

Just as the bottom of the sea is host to innumerable species, the sea of space is also alive with spores and other organisms. And the likelihood is that every planet and moon in this solar system--in this galaxy--has been contaminated with these organisms which--depending on the habitability of the planet--either die, or form spores, or go forth and multiply. And, on Earth-like worlds, these organisms from space, no doubt have evolved--and this means, life on Earth not only originated in space, but that on innumerable planets, two-legged big brain creatures, similar to you and I, gaze up into the darkness of night, pondering the question: are we alone?

And the answer is: Life is everywhere; on Earth, on Mars, and even in the highly radioactive wilds of deep space which may be host to innumerable species, including our own microbiological ancestors who journeyed here, from the stars.





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Copyright: 1996, 2000, 2010, 2014, 2018 - Rhawn Joseph, Ph.D.