Microbial contamination possibility causes concern about Mars rover
SEP 20, 2012
DOI: 10.1063/PT.5.026357
Los Angeles Times : If the Mars Curiosity rover “locates H 2O, a simmering NASA controversy will boil over. The rover’s drill bits may be tainted with Earth microbes that could survive upon touching water.” Thus begins a recent news story in the Los Angeles Times by Louis Sahagun. The drill is designed to probe rocks. The sterilized bits had been inside a box, but concern that a rough landing could cause damage led engineers to open it and mount one bit in the drill as a hedge to ensure success. They did not consult the mission’s planetary protection officer. NASA considers the chance of encountering water at the exploration site remote. But it’s known that “some Earth life forms can live in space and in at least some of the conditions found on Mars.” The rover does have other microbes on it, though they are expected to die quickly in that harsh environment.
© 2012 American Institute of Physics
