When astronauts aboard China’s Tiangong space station drift hundreds of kilometers above Earth, they’re not alone. We’re not talking Alien, we’re talking something much smaller and not as dangerous. Something unseen, unheard, and entirely uninvited: bacteria.

The bacteria were first swabbed in 2023. That sample was then frozen and sent home for study, where biologists were stunned to see it was a species that hadn’t been described before. This previously unknown organism, now named Niallia tiangongensis, is the first novel species discovered aboard China’s orbital lab. And it might just teach us how to survive far from home.

Microbes in space

It’s not that uncommon to discover novel bacterial strains on space stations (though it’s not exactly common, either). Other bacteria, including drug-resistant bacteria, had also been discovered aboard the International Space Station (ISS).

Despite rigorous sterilization protocols, microorganisms from Earth often end up aboard spacecraft, carried by humans, equipment, or cargo. If they can survive aboard these stations, they tend to change quite quickly. Microgravity, radiation, limited nutrients, and artificial atmospheres exert intense selective pressure on microbial communities, leading to genetic mutations and accelerated evolution.

It’s not clear if the newly discovered species mutated in space or not, but it seems to have several adaptations for life on a space station.

The strain — designated JL1B1071T — was collected by the Shenzhou-15 crew as part of the China Space Station Habitation Area Microbiome Program (CHAMP). This initiative tracks how microbial communities change in space. Similar programs exist on the International Space Station.

The researchers used genome sequencing and metabolic profiling to characterize the newfound bacterium. They discovered that Niallia tiangongensis is related to Niallia circulans, a soil-dwelling bacterium from Earth. But it’s a distinct species that’s unusually good at breaking down gelatin — a protein mixture that serves as both a nitrogen and carbon source. This ability may allow it to feed on biological residue or nutrient-limited waste, useful in a space station with scarce resources.

Even more impressive is its apparent resilience to radiation and oxidative stress. These conditions damage DNA and proteins and are common in microgravity environments.

Basically, this microorganism seems to be excellently adapted to life above Earth.

Microbial hitchhikers

It’s not entirely clear whether this microbe is affecting astronauts or the environment.

Microbes aboard spacecraft can be allies, but they’re also risks. Some can corrode metal, clog filters, or trigger disease, especially in immunocompromised astronauts. The genus Niallia, after all, includes species linked to sepsis. It remains unclear whether N. tiangongensis is dangerous, but its ability to form biofilms — a sticky, protective coating — could shield it from cleaning agents or antibiotics.

And once microbes establish themselves in the tight ecosystem of a space station, getting rid of them isn’t easy. Even clean rooms on Earth, built to be sterile, can harbor dozens of resilient species.

That’s why it’s so important to study these microbes. Knowing how a microbe survives in space could allow us to predict — and maybe preempt — its behavior. The adaptations seen in N. tiangongensis could inspire microbial control systems that are precise and preemptive.

But we could also use these bacteria to study their adaptation. These changes may offer blueprints for medical interventions, agricultural resilience, or even biotechnological waste conversion.

Overall, CHAMP’s early data revealed that microbial communities aboard Tiangong differ substantially from those on the ISS. Researchers found several known bacteria that seem to be mutating fast. Some exhibit genomic changes linked to space exposure — an evolutionary fast-forward in orbit. Others show increasing antibiotic resistance, a troubling development if pathogens begin adapting too well to life aloft.

With long-term space missions looming on the horizons, understanding the bacteria that come along for the trip is more important than ever. Would these bacteria cause any health or structural issues for the astronauts? We don’t know yet. But for now, it seems that bacteria aren’t just surviving in space — they’re settling in, diversifying, and adapting.

The study has been published in Springer Nature.