European scientists have gathered tiny fungi that take shelter in Antarctic rocks and sent them to the International Space Station. After 18 months on board in conditions similar to those on Mars, more than 60% of their cells remained intact, with stable DNA. The results provide new information for the search for life on the red planet. Lichens from the Sierra de Gredos (Spain) and the Alps (Austria) also travelled into space for the same experiment.
The present day habitability of Mars is an area of research that has exploded hugely in the last decade, to the extent that it s often hard to keep track of everything that s going on. This is by way of background material for my other articles on habitability of Mars.