Though rumors recently swirled of shrooms surfacing on Mars, the claims were soon (disappointingly!) debunked by scientists. Still, renowned mycologist Paul Stamets predicts their eventual discovery, if not on Mars then elsewhere in the universe. Until then, Earth-born shrooms may be positioned to play a surprising role in the space exploration that could eventually lead us to these hypothetical alien fungi (and so much more).

Researchers at NASA are currently dabbling in mycotecture, aka the use of shrooms to create sustainable structures. Specifically, the organization is exploring the idea of filling inflatable scaffolding with fungal spores, taking it into space, where water and other needed nutrients will be added, and letting the mycelium grow to fill out the scaffolding—thereby creating a structure.

As another potential alternative to traditional construction, NASA is also looking into using mycelium bricks—which are being experimented on for use in construction Earth-side as well—to form structures. Mushrooms could additionally be used in space to build furniture, insulation, and who-(yet)-knows-what-else, and they could potentially filter water, produce electricity, and protect humans from radiation, too.

This homegrown space settlement approach would eliminate the costly need for transporting heavier materials into space, and make building materials easier to move around than, say, concrete blocks or bricks. These structures could essentially repair themselves, too, and when they've outlasted their usefulness, they can simply become fertilizer for agricultural efforts—all of which makes them a wildly sustainable option for the building of space of civilizations.

Shrooms could help humans inhabit space in other ways, too. Stamets thinks astronauts should be dosed with psilocybin so they can better cope with the loneliness and depression that comes with venturing to lands far, far away. He also believes psychedelics could aid in the creative processes of space explorers, which could lead to greater galactic innovations.

If ever there was a place for such shrooms, it’s gotta be space (right?!?), and let’s be honest; if magic mushrooms can lead us to alien psychedelics, they'll truly be worth the trip. But even if we don’t send astronauts on deep dives into their own psyches as they explore new worlds, it looks like mushrooms may potentially prove more valuable in settling the final frontier than even, say, Elon—which just goes to show that even the most groundbreaking technology can scarcely compete with nature's most brilliant innovation (shrooms, of course!).