The Economic Times

In 2003, NASA sent tiny worms aboard Space Shuttle Columbia. After the disaster, scientists discovered that an aluminium container had helped them survive the deadly impact

When Space Shuttle Columbiabroke apart on February 1, 2003, all seven astronauts lost their lives. Yet one NASA experiment survived. Tiny C. elegans worms, protected inside an aluminum research container, were recovered alive from the debris. Their survival transformed scientists' understanding of space biology,microgravity, and protective spacecraft design.