February 22 (UPI) – Microbes from Earth could temporarily live on Mars, according to a new study by scientists at NASA and the German space agency.
The discovery, reported Monday in the journal Frontiers in Microbiology, promises news for researchers working on the development of sustainable biological life support systems that need astronauts to produce their own food and oxygen. to achieve on the Red Planet.
“We successfully tested a new way of exposing bacteria and fungi to Mars-like conditions using a scientific balloon to fly our experimental equipment up to the Earth’s stratosphere,” said co-author of the first study Marta Filipa Cortesão in a press release.
“Some microbes, especially spores from the black mold fungus, were able to survive during the trip, even when exposed to very high UV radiation,” said Cortesão, a scientist with the German Aerospace Center.
While microbes could help astronauts power sustainable biological life support systems, microbial contamination could also study extraterrestrial life.
“With long-term crew missions to Mars, we need to know how human-related microorganisms would survive on the Red Planet, as some could pose a health risk to astronauts,” he said. first author Katharina Siems.
“In addition, some microbes could be extremely useful for space exploration. They could help us to make food and products independent of the Earth, which will be vital when they are far from home, “said Siems, also a scientist at the German Aerospace Center.
On Earth’s surface, some of the environmental conditions found in the surface of Mars are difficult. However, within the Earth’s central stratosphere, just above the ozone layer, the conditions are very similar to Mars.
For the new experiments, researchers launched microbes into the Earth’s atmosphere inside a special device called MARSBOx, short for Microbes in the Atmosphere for Radiation, Survival and Biological Products.
Earlier this month, researchers described a similar device used by researchers to successfully grow cyanobacteria under Martian-like conditions using only water, gases and nutrients available on it. ‘Red Planet.
Scientists filled the MARSBOx with a mixture of gases resembling a Martian atmosphere. Mars-like atmospheric pressures were kept within the payload throughout the trip.
“There were two sets of samples in the box, with the bottom layer under radiation,” Cortesão said. “This allowed us to separate the effects of radiation from the other conditions tested: desiccation, atmosphere and temperature change during flight. The high-temperature samples were exposed to more than a thousand times more UV radiation than levels that could burn. sun on our skin. “
Not all microbes survived the expedition, but researchers were able to regenerate the black mold. Aspergillus niger after the MARSBOx returns to the surface of the Earth.
“Microorganisms are closely linked to us; our body, our food, our environment, so it is impossible to control them out of space travel,” Siems said.
“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 the impact of space travel on microbial life and how we can direct this knowledge towards amazing space explorations, “Siems said.
Demonstrations from Mars: Perseverance rover sends images
The navigation cameras aboard NASA’s Perseverance Mars rover captured this view of the rover’s deck on Monday. This view takes a look at PIXL (the Planning Instrument for X-ray Lithochemistry), one of the instruments on the stove arm of the rover. Image courtesy of NASA / JPL-Caltech
