A group of international scientists from the United States and Canada revealed a worrying fact: constantly shaded areas at the Moon poles can maintain worldly germs for decades. These pathogens can be dangerous to the participants of the future month duties. The report was presented at the last Moon of The Moon and the Planets Conference. Association University Space Research (Usra).
Experts from the universities of York and Maryland simulated the conditions in Shekleton and Faustini’s craters, the main objectives of the Artemis mission.
In addition to lack of UV radiation, the eternal darkness and colds up to -250 ° C, as it creates ideal conditions for the protection of microorganisms.
Bacterial sports can live up to 50 years and organic molecules in such natural “refrigerators” can continue for millions of years.
According to the team, people will inevitably bring microbes to shaded areas almost inevitably, because their spaces contain up to 1 million bacteria per centimeter, the discovery robots cannot be sterile even after disinfection, and ice analysis will give incorrect results.
“Continuously shaded areas are the Moon archives. If we pollute them, we will lose the keys to understanding the solar system,” he warned.
Previously, scientists provenThese worldly lichens will survive in Mars conditions.