With this review article, we aim to give a general overview on the environmental conditions in the different layers of space extending to above the Kármán line and also assessing the various microorganisms sent to space for experimentation and how they are able to survive there even under extreme environmental conditions. The vast outer space is a boundless field of opportunities and new discoveries and has always been appealing to mankind. The harsh environmental conditions of space are a challenge for any living form ranging from microorganisms to humans. However, using microorganisms and testing their survival paves way to prove theories of panspermia and extraterrestrial life. Astrobiology is a rapidly growing field and this review article hopes to ignite interest on the same by giving a simplified yet coherent information about the history, the present and ultimately, the future and scope of astrobiological studies.

Keywords : Astrobiology, Microbiology, Kármán line, Space, International Space Station, Survival, Extraterrestrial life, Microgravity, UV-irradiation