That said, this all occurred in ideal conditions. "These algae had been desiccated [dehydrated] before they went into space, and during their time on the ISS they were kept dormant, with no growth, no development and almost no metabolism," René Demets of the European Space Agency told New Scientist. "But the experiment shows that some terrestrial organisms are robust enough to cope with months of exposure to open space conditions without a spacesuit."

Within days of returning, the algae began behaving normally again, but researchers have yet to examine potential damage to the algal DNA. As New Scientist notes, the survival of the algae adds credence to the "panspermia" theory, which suggests that comets and meteorites can bring life to sterile planets. It also provides insight into whether humans could transport plants to grow on other planets.