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Could New Rover's Wheels Deliver Germs To Mars?
astroengine writes "Although the idea of "infecting" the Red Planet with our germs is nothing new, one microbiologist believes the next Mars rover may have a higher chance of becoming a microbe lifeboat. Andrew C. Schuerger, of the University of Florida and the Space Life Sciences Lab at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, believes the problem could lie in the way NASA's Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) will land on the Red Planet — wheels first. Previous Mars rovers have sat atop a lander platform for at least two Martian days (sols) before venturing into the regolith; any surviving bacteria attached to their wheels were therefore killed by the harsh UV light that bathes Mars. As the MSL's wheels will immediately make contact with the regolith straight after entry, there might be an increased chance of contaminating Mars with terrestrial germs. But still, as Schuerger admits, the risks are tiny."
...more likely to contaminate the Martian surface than the lander platform? (Of course, since this is Slashdot, I didn't RTFA.)
why wouldnt the germs still get killed by the UV?
Previous Mars rovers have sat atop a lander platform for at least two Martian days (sols) before venturing into the regolith; any surviving bacteria attached to their wheels were therefore killed by the harsh UV light that bathes Mars.
Are we sure existing vehicles sterilized their wheels? It would seem they would need to roll forward a little during the process to expose the underside of the wheels. Wouldn't there be spots receiving little reflected UV given the texturing/treading of the wheels and the platform?
-ed for STDs.
Bukowski said it. I believe it. That settles it.
Cohagen will fix it.
You Red Marsists crack me up.
If we're really worried about contamination, just hook up a small tactical nuclear device on a dead-man's switch to the rover and send it to Mars. Not like we'll be breaking much, but we will probably get rid of any contamination. Also, it would look cool from Earth.
What if the life forms we will bring will start what in millions of years we will know as martians?
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Which is why you don't test the soil for microbes right where the lander put its wheels... The entire rest of the planet is still a viable target for research. Anything that isn't buried beneath the regolith pushed by the wheels will die from UV exposure. Blown away/exposed by wind? UV exposure. This is seriously a non-threat. As long as you don't sample from wheel treads and the rover was properly sterilized it'll be fine. (not to mention any microbes you find should be tested in comparison to those of earth origin. It's highly unlikely that you'll find an identical strain of organism on Mars as found on Earth.)
So, if microbes from earth to manage to somehow get on Mars, will anything bad even happen? I mean sure, the microbes could possibly kill any living Martian life, but have we found any real signs of current life on Mars? Hell, maybe we should start seeding Mars with bacteria. If they die, they die. If they live, they may eventually grow to the point where more life could be seeded on Mars, making a possible future human presence on the planet that much easier.
The only thing necessary for evil to triumph is for it to be pitted against a slightly greater evil
"...the risks are tiny."
We ought to be seeding Mars with as many extremophile organisms as possible and in large enough numbers that they can start terraforming the atmosphere. Its going to happen when we get there ourselves, so we might as well get a head start.
From the sounds of it this is insanely small percentage chance on top of insanely small percentage chance (IE the germs surviving the UV bath, and then surviving the land on the planet and somehow addapting to the completely unique environment. I mean there's only 2 real things I can think of, 1. these bacteria live, adapt and somehow live long enough to evolve and recreate a whole new existance of aliens in a few million years, or 2. it could be a problem if mankind cures all diseases in the year 2500, lives a disease free life for 400 years then runs out of space on earth, terraforms mars, and we all have the common cold from the year 2000 which is fatal after a few generations of dumbed down immune systems.
Do we care?
If we can get microbes to thrive on Mars, wouldn't that be pretty awesome too?
Maybe ... Could ... Possibly ....Could Michael Jackson be on the Moon? Well, yes ... but extremely unlikely. Where's a quantum physicist when you need them,...
Slow news day indeed....
"The greatest lesson in life is to know that even fools are right sometimes" - Winston Churchill
New rover wheels could start an interplanetary war! But speculators agree that the chances are very "tiny."
Why so negative?
Wouldn't it be nice to finally have a second planet we're sure supports life?
"Money is a sign of poverty." - Iain Banks
Nothing like a well placed double entendre!
We ought to be seeding Mars with as many extremophile organisms as possible and in large enough numbers that they can start terraforming the atmosphere. Its going to happen when we get there ourselves, so we might as well get a head start.
Mars will not be terraformed. Mars has lost the magnetic field needed to protect life from solar radiation and to retain an atmosphere.
I'm not sure that phrase means what you think it means.
The chances of anything coming from Earth are a million to one, he said.
The chances of anything coming from Earth are a million to one - but still they come!
Privacy is terrorism.
S is for Space which is vast and dark...
Privacy is terrorism.
But still, as Schuerger admits, the risks are tiny.
So are the microbes...
A woman walks into a bar, and says to the bartender "I'd like a double entendre."
So he gave her one.
Not only that, but bacteria can be embedded within particles, which are then protected from the UV. It's still a long shot to also be viable in that atmosphere, at that temperature and happen to land somewhere suitable to propagate.
Always anonymous, always critical, always using the phrase 'space nutter', always unaware of how futile your agenda is. It'll never catch on, never be repeated. You're not starting a meme.
...assuming it hasn't happened already. No point in taking extraordinary efforts to prevent the inevitable.
"Convictions are more dangerous enemies of truth than lies."
I remember an article mentioning that earth's upper atmosphere is shedding bacteria into space. That bacteria would be carried by the solar wind, and Mars has no protection against some of it just falling to the ground. I rate the worries as a total non issue.
Just admit it!!!
What we all really want is Rover-Wars-On-Mars. Run the rovers to the near end of their battery life, then get them together for the Pay-for-view fight of the century!!! Place cameras around and let the rovers go at each other!
NASA would make more money on this then 10 liberal geek filled democratic congresses could ever hope to appropriate.
I totally see this sparking an entire evolution of lifeforms on Mars. If they're smart they'll worship the rover. ;)
Apollo 12 brought back parts from a Probe that landed on the Moon two years earlier. On it were found bacterial spores. When those spores were added to a growth medium, they cultured. Considering a) the Moon has no atmosphere, b) the Moon receives 4x the solar radiation as Mars, and c) the spores had been there for two years, I don't think we can actually consider any space craft sent to Mars truly sterile.
Except that if the Martians get exposed to germs, they might develop immunity to them. And next time they might whup our asses good and proper.
Confucius say, "Find worm in apple - bad. Find half a worm - worse."
several cans of Lysol all on solenoids to fire when the unit launches to disinfect and deodorize...
Come on this isn't rocket science.....
Oh wait.
Cent we launch it with a rug to stand on and wipe it's feet first?
Do not look at laser with remaining good eye.
(from wiktionary)
A phrase that has two meanings, especially where one is innocent and literal, the other risqué, bawdy, or ironic; an innuendo.
However, your point is well taken. Of course the risks are tiny, we're talking about microbes!
I wonder how the wheels might be packed until they touch the ground. Is there no chance to bathe them before reaching the ground?
cb
A night with Venus, a lifetime of Mercury. A roll on Mars, ...?
Why do we care if we seed life on a dead planet? That actually sounds quite awesome. I guess it's problematic for whoever tries to eventually establish a base there, but screw those guys. They already have the deck stacked against them, might as well add horribly mutated alien flu to the list of dangers.