Tuesday, May 13, 2014

PHOTOS Why Earth’s Spores Could Survive A Trip to Mars

Why Earth’s Spores Could Survive A Trip to Mars:

Artist's conception of Mars, with asteroids nearby. Credit: NASA
PHOTOS Why Earth’s Spores Could Survive A Trip to Mars
Artist’s conception of Mars, with asteroids nearby. Credit: NASA
Here’s a finding to give planetary protectionists pause: two species of spores mounted on the International Space Station’s hull a few years back showed a high survival rate after 18 months in space.

Providing that they are shielded against solar radiation, it appears the spores are quite hardy and could easily transport on a spacecraft headed for Mars — which is concerning since so many scientific investigations there these days are focused on habitability of Martian life (whether past or present). The experiment was published in 2012, but highlighted in a recent NASA press release about planetary protection.



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