Eli5: If creatures such as tardigrades can survive in extreme conditions such as the vacuum of space and deep under water, how can astronauts and other space flight companies be confident in their means of decontamination after missions and returning to earth?

Question

My initial post was related to more of bacteria or organisms on space suits or moon walks and then flown back to earth in the comfort of a shuttle.

In: Biology

Answer 1

Who cares, it’s space. There’s nothing there that can hurt you. It’s like going to the Atacama desert and worrying about how you will avoid drowning, or going to antarctica and worrying about how you will avoid dying of heatstroke. Of all the places humans go, space is literally the absolute least likely one to produce deadly disease or dangerous microbes.