Hardy little micro-organisms from Earth could hitch a ride on a spacecraft and colonise the surface of Mars and trick scientists into thinking they are aliens, a new study by NASA scientists, including one of Indian-origin, has found.
These bacteria could contaminate celestial bodies such as Mars, making it difficult for researchers to determine if a life form actually originated on the site, researchers said.
"In the movies, humans often fear invaders from Mars. These days, scientists are more concerned about invaders to Mars, in the form of micro-organisms from Earth," they said.
Three recent scientific papers examined the risks of interplanetary exchange of organisms using research from the International Space Station (ISS).
Currently, spacecraft landing on Mars or other planets where life might exist must meet requirements for a maximum allowable level of microbial life, or bioburden.
These acceptable levels were based on studies of how various life forms survive exposure to the rigours associated with space travel, researchers said.
"If you are able to reduce the numbers to acceptable levels, a proxy for cleanliness, the assumption is that the life forms will not survive under harsh space conditions," said Kasthuri J Venkateswaran, a researcher with the Biotechnology and Planetary Protection Group at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory and a co-author on all three papers.
That assumption may not hold up, though, as recent research has shown that some microbes are hardier than expected, and others may use various protective mechanisms to survive interplanetary flights.
Spore-forming bacteria are of particular concern because spores can withstand certain sterilisation procedures and may best be able to survive the harsh environments of outer space or planetary surfaces.
Spores of Bacillus pumilus SAFR-032 have shown especially high resistance to techniques used to clean spacecraft, such as ultraviolet (UV) radiation and peroxide treatment.
When researchers exposed this hardy organism to a simulated Mars environment that kills standard spores in 30 seconds, it survived 30 minutes.
For one of the recent experiments, Bacillus pumilus SAFR-032 spores were exposed for 18 months on the European Technology Exposure Facility (EuTEF), a test facility mounted outside the ISS.
"After testing exposure to the simulated Mars environment, we wanted to see what would happen in real space, and EuTEF gave us the chance," said Venkateswaran.
"To our surprise, some of the spores survived for 18 months," said Venkateswaran.
These surviving spores had higher concentrations of proteins associated with UV radiation resistance and, in fact, showed elevated UV resistance when revived and re-exposed on Earth.
The studies appeared in the Astrobiology Journal.
RESULT
Since its daredevil landing on Mars last summer, NASAs Curiosity rover has been avidly exploring its new home in Gale Crater. But theres been one
Space Station Research Shows That Hardy Little Space ...
Space Station Research Shows That Hardy Little Space Travelers Could Colonize Mars ., comments powered by Disqus
Engineering Life to Survive on Mars and Aid Human Colonization
With NASAs Curiosity Rover safely on Mars and ready to search for signs of life, back on Earth attempts are underway to engineer bacteria that could
Swabbing and Hoping: How NASA Keeps Germs From Colonizing Mars
How NASA Keeps Germs From Colonizing Mars. which thrive in the harshest environments on Earth. They can transported things like bacteria and
Earth Bacteria On Mars? Serratia Liquefaciens Could ...
Earth Bacteria On Mars? Serratia Liquefaciens Could Survive On Red Planet, Study Suggests
How Microbes Could Help Colonize Mars - Astrobio
How Microbes Could Help Colonize Mars: Moon to from the rocks of Mars. Credit: NASA. bacteria helped create a habitable Earth with oxygen at
How Microbes Could Help Colonize Mars - Space and NASA ...
How Microbes Could Help Colonize Mars. terraform' Mars to make it more like Earth, bacteria helped create a habitable Earth with oxygen at
Mars colonization may require Earth soil.
Can Humans Live on Mars Without Earths Courtesy of Timothy Parker/JPL/NASA. soil bacteria appear to be important for maintaining the proper
Could Earth Germs Colonize Mars?
Could Earth Germs Colonize Mars Since its daredevil landing on Mars last summer, NASAs Curiosity rover These bacteria were first nurtured for
NASA Quest: Possibility of colonizing Mars
Is it possible to colonize mars to the extent that human Conditions on Mars are much more harsh than any on Earth. NASA Ames Research Center
