Agnirva Space Premier League - Expedition #32280: Life After Death in Space: Decomposition Without Gravity

What happens to dead organisms in space? Decomposition is a natural process on Earth, driven by bacteria, fungi, and insects. But in space, with its microgravity environment, that process could be very different. That’s exactly what students from the San Diego Youth Space Program set out to study with their experiment aboard the ISS.

The goal was to observe how microgravity affects the breakdown of organic matter. Would bacteria still be able to do their job? Would the absence of gravity slow down or change the pattern of decomposition? Understanding this is crucial for long-term space missions, where recycling and waste management become critical.

The experiment provided valuable data on microbial behavior in orbit. It could help in designing better closed-loop life support systems for future space habitats, and even inform how we handle biological waste in low-Earth orbit or on other planets.

This student-led mission exemplifies how space science can answer not just high-tech questions, but also the most fundamental processes of life and death.

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