NASA study shows Earth microbes could endure Moon's south-pole shadows
Researchers at NASA found that several human-associated microbes can remain viable for at least a day in the permanently shadowed niches of the lunar south pole.
In a paper published in Science Advances, NASA scientists demonstrated that a selection of Earth microbes commonly found on astronauts and spacecraft can stay alive for at least one Earth day within the dark, cold pockets of the Moon’s south pole. Led by Prabal Saxena of NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, the researchers tested five hardy species, including the fungus Aspergillus niger, in simulated environments modeled after the Nobile Rim, Connecting Ridge and De Gerlache Rim.
Results showed that even with some sunlight exposure, these microbes persisted, raising concerns that human-borne contamination might obscure the interpretation of lunar geological or potential biological signatures. Co-author Andrew Needham highlighted the necessity of establishing a pre-mission contamination baseline to protect future Mars sampling efforts. Aaron Regberg noted the surprise that non-extremophiles survived, given NASA’s usual sterilization heat treatments for robotic probes. Heather Graham added that, while dormant survival is possible, the Moon lacks the liquid water and atmosphere needed for microbial growth, underscoring the importance of careful planetary protection protocols.
Why it matters
Understanding microbial survival on the Moon is crucial for preventing contamination of future scientific investigations and planetary protection.
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