The Economic Times

In 2010, NASA launched a 12-pound, loaf-of-bread-sized satellite with two Bacillus populations; radiation exposure reached about 15 times that of the ISS orbit

NASA's O/OREOS mission embarked on an exciting journey to observe how bacteria withstand the rigors of space radiation. The compact satellite, about the size of a loaf of bread, zipped around Earths magnetic poles, subjecting dried bacterial spores to intense radiation over several months. While initial germination and growth were sluggish and ultimately showed abnormalities, the mission confirmed that nanosatellites are viable platforms for conducting autonomous biological research in space.