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Tiny creatures from University of Wyoming laboratories hitched a ride in a freezer on SpaceX CRS-22 and were delivered to the International Space Station, where they await to show off their strength.

Tardigrades or "water bears" have been the subject of study for UW molecular biologist Thomas Boothby and his team.

On July 13, the tardigrades will begin to undergo experiments so researchers can better understand changes to their gene expression as they experience stressful environments in space.

"The ultimate goal for the project isn't just to understand how tardigrades survive in space, but...