Scientists squished microbes into a steel 'sandwich' — and made a profound discovery about life in space

Scientists subjected extremely hardy bacteria called Deinococcus radiodurans to crushing pressures between steel plates, simulating asteroid impacts that could launch microbes from planetary surfaces into space. Up to 95% of these bacteria survived pressures equivalent to asteroid strikes on Mars, with survival rates far higher than previous studies. This suggests asteroid impacts could spread microbial life between worlds throughout the solar system, forcing scientists to reconsider contamination protocols for future space missions.