# Unknown Species of Bacteria Discovered in China’s Space Station

- Link: https://www.widthness.com/unknown-species-of-bacteria-discovered-in-chinas-space-station/
- Published: 2025-05-25T09:30:00-05:00
- Author: Curated by John Wysocki

Image caption: Rendering of Tiangong Space Station in August 2021, with Tianhe core module in the middle, Shenzhou-12 crewed spacecraft on the left, and Tianzhou-2 cargo spacecraft on the right. Image credit: Shujianyang via Wikimedia. CC BY-SA 4.0 (no modifications). Article by Mike McRae. Science Alert &#8211; May 19, 2025. Research article: Niallia tiangongensis sp. nov., isolated from the China Space Station. Swabs from China&#8217;s Tiangong space station reveal traces of a bacterium unseen on Earth, with characteristics that may help it function under stressful environmental conditions hundreds of kilometers above the planet&#8217;s surface. Naming their discovery after the station, researchers from the Shenzhou Space Biotechnology Group and the Beijing Institute of Spacecraft System Engineering say the study of&nbsp;Niallia tiangongensis&nbsp;and similar species could be &#8220;essential&#8221; in protecting astronaut health and spacecraft functionality over long missions. [&#8230;] Click here to view original web page at www.sciencealert.com
