The risk of spreading bacteria from Earth to Mars

To study water samples on Mars, scientists will have to invest a lot of money to ensure clean equipment, avoid spreading Earth bacteria to red planets.

The ability to spread Earth bacteria to Mars is huge

According to the US Aerospace Agency (NASA), dark grooves appear on Mars in spring and summer as a result of liquid water flowing through the surface. This is an important finding opening hope to find life on the red planet.

On Earth, where there is water, there is life. When looking for signs of life on other planets, NASA's motto is "tracing water". After announcing the discovery of Mars liquid water, researchers are planning to explore dark grooves . In a conference held in Washington, the United States, John Grunsfeld, a member of NASA's Science Department, expressed hope that he could bring space biologists to the area to study.

Dark grooves can be caused by liquid water flowing on the surface of Mars.(Photo: NASA).

However, according to scholar Lee Billings, finding life on Mars is not simple. The Treaty of the Upper Space in which the United States entered into in 1967 has a prohibition against "spreading harmful" bacteria from the Earth to other planets.

According to Popular Science, the Earth spacecraft undergoes strict sanitation to remove bacteria before flying into space. Cleaning steps include drying, chemical treatment, ultraviolet radiation and starvation of bacteria. Some types of bacteria still exist despite NASA's bactericidal efforts. For example, the Curiosity probe still carries up to 65 types of bacteria when launched into space.

Due to this risk, the Cosmological Research Council (COSPAR) has defined "special regions" on Mars , where conditions are favorable for the development of the ecosystem. Explorers and astronauts need to avoid these areas if they have not been completely disinfected. If they break the rules, they can transmit Earth bacteria to Mars, and disturb the devices used to detect life.

Mars 2020 probe design used to detect life on Mars.(Photo: NASA).

Mars 2020 probe ship, the next ship can participate in the search for life in wet places on Mars, not allowed to go near "special areas" . Water bodies are a paradise for bacterial growth, while thermal battery equipment on probes can provide enough heat for Earth bacteria to thrive.

Future spacecraft may be designed to overcome this limitation, but to enter the "special zone" , manufacturing takes several years and consumes millions of dollars. This will create additional burden on NASA's tightened budget.