- NASA goes to great lengths to prevent terrestrial microbes from hitting missions on missions to other worlds like Mars.
- Scientists fear that microorganisms from Earth could contaminate other planets or, even worse, throw off the pursuit of extraterrestrial life.
- New research shows that NASA ‘s concerns are well justified, as microbes from Earth may live on the surface of Mars, at least for a while.
As far as we know, nothing lives on Mars. Could life be deep underground, perhaps surviving near water sources that are not completely frozen? It’s unlikely, but it’s not impossible. Of course, we have never found such a life, so for now we have to accept that nothing exists, and NASA would like to keep it that way.
To that end, the U.S. space agency and others around the world take great care to ensure that their missions to another world are as sterile as possible. If a microbe (or many microbes) were to take a trip on a rover or orbiter, survive the orbit through space, and reach its final destination, a planet like Mars could pollution and the hunt to make outdoor life more difficult. . New study published in Boundaries in microbiology suggests that these concerns are well warranted.
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To test whether microbes could survive on the surface of Mars, researchers from NASA and the German Aerospace Center came together to introduce high-level microorganisms into the Earth’s stratosphere. At these higher levels, the temperature and radiation that the microbes perceive are closely related to what these life forms would be on the surface of Mars. The capsule in which the microbes lived was filled with a Martian illusion to match the position of Mars as closely as possible.
Not surprisingly, some species of microbes have died out in the intense radiation and temperature. However, some were indeed alive, and it looks like they would survive on the surface of Mars if given the chance.
“While not all microbes survived the mission, one previously found on the International Space Station, the black mold Aspergillus niger, was revived after returning home,” said Katharina Siems of the Center. German aerospace in a statement. “Microbes are closely linked to us; our body, our food, our environment, and so it is impossible to rule them out of space travel. Using good analogies for the Martian environment, such as the MARSBOx balloon mission to the stratosphere, is a very important way to help us study all the effects of space travel on microbial life and how let us direct this knowledge towards amazing space discoveries. ”
When humans finally travel to the Red Planet, microbes get in the way whether we like it or not. The best way to protect Mars from our own pollutants is an area of research that will see significant growth as we approach the inevitable messages to Mars.
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Mike Wehner has been reporting on technology and video games for the past decade, covering breaking news and trends in VR, wearables, smartphones, and the future of tech. Mike was most recently a Tech Editor at The Daily Dot, and has appeared in USA Today, Time.com, and in countless web and print outlets. His love of narrating only second place on his game thesis.