The animal that survives space

0:00 There's a creature so tough it can survive

0:02 the vacuum of space.

0:03 It's called the tardigrade, or water bear,

0:06 and it's smaller than a grain of sand.

0:09 When conditions turn deadly, it curls up,

0:11 expels almost all its water,

0:13 and enters a state called a tun,

0:15 nearly shutting down its metabolism.

0:18 In this form it has endured boiling heat,

0:20 temperatures near absolute zero,

0:22 crushing pressure,

0:24 and radiation that would kill us instantly.

0:26 Scientists once sent tardigrades into orbit,

0:29 and many came back alive.