Dozens of never-before-seen species of “extremophile” bacteria were hiding in a NASA clean room used to quarantine a Mars lander before it was successfully launched to the Red Planet more than 17 years ago, a new study reveals.
However, there is no evidence that the spacecraft or Mars were contaminated.
NASA’s Phoenix Mars lander touched down on the Red Planet on May 25, 2008, and spent 161 days (156 Martian days) collecting a variety of data, before suddenly going offline.
When researchers reanalyzed samples collected from the Phoenix lander clean room before, during and after the spacecraft was quarantined there, they found DNA from 26 novel species of bacteria.
This suggests spacecraft clean rooms could be an excellent place to search for more of these hardy microbes.
The new study reveals that dozens of previously undiscovered species of “extremophile” bacteria were hiding in a NASA clean room used to quarantine a Mars lander prior to its successful launch to the Red Planet more than 17 years ago.
A few of the resilient microorganisms might be able to endure the vacuum of space. But there isn’t any proof that Mars or the spacecraft were tainted.
Before abruptly shutting down, NASA’s Phoenix Mars lander collected a variety of data for 161 days (156 Martian days) after landing on the Red Planet on May 25, 2008. After spending a few days in a clean room at the Kennedy Space Center’s Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility in Florida approximately ten months prior to landing on Mars, the lander was launched in August from nearby Cape Canaveral Space Force Station (formerly known as Cape Canaveral Air Force Station). 4, 2007, according to Space . com, a sister website of Live Science.
According to NASA, clean rooms are places where spacecraft and their payloads are segregated both before launch and during reentry to Earth to keep the environment free of potentially harmful particles and to prevent microbial contamination. These areas undergo constant vacuuming, sterilization, pressurization, and air supply through specialized filters that block 99–97% of all airborne particles. Anyone going into the room has to take an air shower and wear an all-in-one “bunny suit” before continuing.
However, none of these precautions can completely prevent everything. Researchers discovered DNA from 26 different species of bacteria when they reanalyzed samples taken from the Phoenix lander clean room prior to, during, and following the spacecraft’s quarantine there. In a study that was published in the journal Microbiome on May 12, the team presented their findings.
Related: Researchers warn that alien life could contaminate Earth if it gets on our spacecraft.
The majority of the recently identified microorganisms showed at least some traits that helped them withstand extremely high or low temperatures, pressures, and radiation levels. They may even be able to survive the vacuum of space, the researchers wrote, adding that some had genes linked to DNA repair, detoxification of toxic molecules, and enhanced metabolism.
“Our study aimed to identify which microorganisms might survive the harsh conditions of space and to understand the risk of extremophiles being transferred in space missions,” said Alexandre Rosado, a microbiologist at the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology in Saudi Arabia, who co-authored the study. This work is essential for keeping an eye on the possibility of microbial contamination and protecting exploratory planets from inadvertent colonization. “..”.
Of the species found in the room, the newly described species accounted for slightly less than 25%; the majority of these species also possessed extremophile traits. This shows that looking for more of these resilient microorganisms may be a great idea in spacecraft clean rooms.
Because it can help researchers predict the appearance of potential alien microbes and how to stop them from contaminating Earth, the discovery of new extremophiles is crucial. Additionally, some of them create materials like biofilms that may find use in biotechnologies, food preservation, and medicine.
