Margen
There is a tiny animal, less than a millimetre long, that withstands what would kill almost any living being: the vacuum of space, cosmic radiation and temperatures close to absolute zero. It's called the tardigrade, or water bear.
In 2007, a European experiment took tardigrades into space and exposed them directly to the vacuum and to solar radiation in orbit. Many survived, and some even laid eggs that hatched normally once they were back.
Their secret is to enter a state of dormant life: they expel almost all their water, shrink and bring their metabolism almost to a halt, waiting for conditions to improve. They are, perhaps, the most resilient creature we know of.
Source: European Space Agency (ESA)