These Earth critters may be colonising the moon, all thanks to a 2019 crash. Here's all you need to know

In 2019, an unmanned space probe called Beresheet crashed into the moon, scattering its cargo on the lunar surface. Included in the cargo were tardigrades, a nearly indestructible critter that is known for its ability to survive in any environment. But can they survive an environment as foreign as that on the moon? Here's all you need to know.

The doomed spacecraft

In April 2019, Israeli spacecraft, originally designated SpaceIL, was a lunar lander funded and built by the non-profit organisation SpaceIL and Israel Aerospace Industries. Israel Space Agency provided technical support for it.

The spacecraft, which was launched on February 22, 2019, attempted a soft landing on April 11.

As per the NASA website, the plan was for Beresheet to land in Mare Serenitatis and transmit data from the surface for about 2 days.

However, due to the main engine failure, it crashed on the lunar surface.

Its precious cargo included tardigrades and "lunar library" - something resembling a DVD that contains a 30-million-page archive of human history viewable under microscopes, as well as human DNA - was being carried on the Beresheet robot lander.

Tardigrades on moon

Aboard the Beresheet spacecraft were water bears or tardigrades, creatures which are under a millimetre long and can survive despite being heated to 150C or being frozen to almost absolute zero.

They were dehydrated and placed in suspended animation before being loaded on to the spacecraft.

Back then, Arch Mission Foundation boss Nova Spivack, as quoted by BBC, said that they "believe the chances of survival for the tardigrades… are extremely high."

Now, as per a Science Alert report, these tiny animals may have colonised the moon thanks to their remarkable abilities to survive almost anything.

Apparently, laboratory tests have shown that frozen specimens of tardigrade's Hypsibius dujardini species, travelling in a vacuum, were fatally damaged when smashed into sand. However, at a little slower — 2,600 km/h or less — they survived. The moon crash was slower than that, so the chances of water bears on the moon would be very high, if not for the lack of liquid water necessary for their survival.

(With inputs from agencies)