Effects of extreme acceleration, microgravity, and deceleration on Bacillus subtilis onboard a suborbital space flight

Abstract

The effects of extreme acceleration, microgravity, and deceleration of a suborbital spaceflight on Bacillus subtilis ATCC 6051 spores were investigated. B. subtilis spores were exposed to a maximum acceleration of ~13 g, a microgravity phase of 6 min, deceleration of 30 g (~300 m/s2), and a maximum rotating velocity of 220 os−1 upon re-entry into Earth’s atmosphere. Post-flight analysis showed the spores exhibited no change in morphology or viability, confirming that B. subtilis spores are resilient to space flight conditions.