Tardigrades (phylum Tardigrada) are microscopic, eight-legged invertebrates (~0.05–1.2 mm) known for near-total environmental tolerance. They inhabit mosses, lichens, sediments, and deep-sea substrates worldwide. When exposed to dehydration, vacuum, or temperature extremes, they enter anhydrobiosis—a tun state with <3 % water content and <0.01 % normal metabolism. In this state, they withstand: • Temperature: −272 °C to +150 °C • Pressure: 0 Pa (space) to >1,000 atm • Ionizing radiation: up to ~5,000 Gy (humans: ~5 Gy lethal) • Complete vacuum and cosmic radiation (confirmed by ESA 2007 BIOPAN and later ISS missions) Key protection systems include: • TDPs (tardigrade-specific intrinsically disordered proteins): vitrify cytoplasm and stabilize macromolecules. • Dsup (Damage suppressor): binds chromatin and reduces DNA breakage by up to 40 %. • Efficient DNA repair and antioxidant enzymes mitigate oxidative stress post-rehydration. Current research explores applications in bios...