Understanding the characteristics of microbes during long-term space missions is essential for safeguarding the health of astronauts and maintaining the functionality of spacecraft,” scientists explained in a new study published in the International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology.

Last year, scientists uncovered a mutated strain of drug-resistant bacteria thriving under the harsh conditions of space aboard the International Space Station (ISS). Although Niallia tiangongensis and its ISS counterpart are both space-faring strains, they differ in composition and function, according to the paper.

Chinese researchers have swabbed the Chinese Tiangong Space Station and found a novel strain of bacterium called 'Niallia tiangongensis'.