Could Microbial Life Survive in the Harsh Conditions of Space?

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The discussion centers on the viability of life forms in the harsh conditions of space, specifically regarding organisms that do not require breathing and can withstand extreme temperatures, radiation, and vacuum. It highlights the resilience of certain microorganisms, such as bacteria and tardigrades, which have survived exposure to space conditions. Notably, the Apollo 12 mission returned live bacteria that had survived on the Moon, suggesting that life can endure in space, albeit without growth or respiration during exposure. The conversation also emphasizes that any life found on Mars is likely to be contamination from Earth, as new life could not evolve in such an environment. A recommended reading is a review article on microbial life in space, which explores the survival mechanisms of these organisms and the implications for extraterrestrial life.
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They don't breathe.
Their internal pressure greater than space.
Radiation.
Temperature.
Micrometeorites.
No picnic?
Any recommended reading?
Thanks.
 
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Thank you, sorry,
My question is;
in the current stew of real and imagined scientific knowledge that informs science fiction, what is the general opinion about creatures existing in space without breathing and exposed to extreme temperatures, radiation, and vacuum?
 
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Did you know that the Apollo 12 astronauts brought live samples of bacteria back from the Moon? They accidentally hitched a ride on Surveyor 3 a few years before and it had been living up there completely exposed to space. While it's possible that the contamination happened after the fact (during of after the trip back with Apollo,) ISS has also preformed experiments with living bacteria exposed to space and they seem to do fine.
 
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Dried Tardigrades have been exposed to conditions on the surface of Mars (so-called Mars Jars) and survived for months to be revived by water in the lab. Lichens have also survived Mars Jars. None of these organisms did any"growing" during their stay - no respiration -- a Biological concept that does not mean 'breathing air' -- was measured.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cellular_respiration

A cautionary point: no new life could evolve on the surface of Mars. In other words, if astronauts find bacteria it is likely the astronauts or some preceding man-made object brought them as hitchhikers.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tardigrade
 
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Here's a nice review article discussing the conditions under which microbial life from Earth can survive, and the possibilities for life in space and on other planets:
Moissl-Eichinger et al. 2016 Venturing into new realms? Microorganisms in space. FEMS Microbiol Rev 40: 722. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/femsre/fuw015
 
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Popular article referring to the BA.2 variant: Popular article: (many words, little data) https://www.cnn.com/2022/02/17/health/ba-2-covid-severity/index.html Preprint article referring to the BA.2 variant: Preprint article: (At 52 pages, too many words!) https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.02.14.480335v1.full.pdf [edited 1hr. after posting: Added preprint Abstract] Cheers, Tom
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