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The International Space Station lacks microbial diversity. Is it too clean?

Tests reveal a lack of microbial diversity on board. That’s been linked to health issues in other settings

image of astronaut cleaning space station

Astronauts aboard the International Space Station routinely clean up. Here, Japanese astronaut Aki Hoshide vacuums in one of the lab areas.

NASA Johnson/Flickr (CC BY-NC 2.0)

By Nora Bradford

With air filters and weekly wipe-downs and vacuuming, NASA goes to great lengths to keep the International Space Station clean so that astronauts stay healthy. But astronauts still often