Mars

[Storm Man]

Scientist Say We Have Contaminated Mars.

"I believe there is life on Mars, and it's unequivocally there, because we sent it," said Andrew Schuerger in the New Scientist Magazine.

The University of Florida scientist said there is a good chance that microbes from Earth have made it to Mars by hitching a lift aboard space probes.

Schuerger said that NASA's twin rovers and Europe's Beagle 2, have left some microbes on board.


Kargel told
New Scientist: "Maybe we've just done a really terrible thing.
What Do You Think?

[GalvestonDuck]

1) Was Mars "sterile" to begin with?
2) Do we have proof that any microbes or, for that matter, algae, fungi, bacteria, dinosaur eggs, sea monkeys, mold spores, AFB, ants, silicone implants, or anti-war movements would have survived a trip to Mars?

[Winnipesaukee]

This is pointless. Even if we dipped the probes in bleach prior to launch, would they not simply pick up contaminates while being launched?

There is no way to get from a sterile clean room to outer space without passing through contaminated air.

And I said it before, I don't think the citizens of mars really care.

[Storm Man]

1) Was Mars "sterile" to begin with?
2) Do we have proof that any microbes or, for that matter, algae, fungi, bacteria, dinosaur eggs, sea monkeys, mold spores, AFB, ants, silicone implants, or anti-war movements would have survived a trip to Mars?
Why Dont You Ask Dr:Schuerger? I Just Asked A
Question.Im sure hes knows more about It Than Me.
I Think Its Possible.

[GalvestonDuck]

I know ya did.

I just wanted to give my thinking on the issue.

and --

3) How do we know that things don't somehow get sterilized as they travel through space, since we know that they can reach extremes in temperature?

Not asking really...they're just rhetorical questions.

[Storm Man]

I Do Know They Sterilized All The Other Probes Before
These Last Three. Why They Didn't I Haven't A Clue.
Maybe Cost Too Much? Anyway something to think
about?

[Anonymous]

I know ya did.

I just wanted to give my thinking on the issue.

and --

3) How do we know that things don't somehow get sterilized as they travel through space, since we know that they can reach extremes in temperature?

Not asking really...they're just rhetorical questions.

One other thing to think about--Any air in space is pulled by gravity toward celestial bodies such as stars and planets. So the craft would have travelled through a vacuumlike atmosphere with no air. All living things need some type of air to survive. Unless the enviroment in the spacecraft was controlled and had a supply of air like earth which may have been true.

[mf_dolphin]

Keep in mind that some microbes and spores can go into a state of suspended animation or dormacy. They can even survive temperature extremes.

[Aslkahuna]

especially can survive extremely low temperatures (not much above absolute zero) as well as a no air environment.

Steve

[weatherluvr]

Not to throw any credence towards this theory, BUT...

When Apollo 12 landed on the moon near an unmanned Surveyor craft, they removed an experiment package from it that found microorganisms did survive over 2 1/2 years in a vacuum with 500 degree temperature swings. Obviously they wouldn't flourish in such a hostile environment, but the fact that they did survive is interesting.

A greater concern for NASA is their planned expedition to Europa. The plan is to melt down through the ice to the liquid ocean, then release a submarine to search for life. In this environment, microorganisms could multiply explosively.

As far as possible contamination of Mars... eh. Earth and Mars have been cross-contaminating each other for eons, due to meteor impacts and the like. Who knows, maybe we're all really Martians!