India, Oct. 29 -- A biological pigment produced by fungi could help plastic materials withstand the harsh environment beyond Earth, offering a promising direction for future spacecraft, orbital laboratories and long-duration space missions. In an experiment aboard the International Space Station (ISS), researchers found that adding fungal melanin to a plant-derived plastic significantly reduced material loss after approximately six months in low Earth orbit.

The findings, published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, highlight how nature-inspired materials could address a persistent challenge in space exploration. Protecting equipment from radiation, temperature fluctuations, and other environmental stresses without addin...