Produced by: Mohsin Shaikh
Astronaut Suni Williams will collect samples from ISS life-support vents, searching for signs of resilient microorganisms in the harsh vacuum of space.
The collected samples will help scientists determine if the ISS is releasing microbes into space and whether they can survive such extreme conditions.
Initial tests will focus on understanding how microorganisms endure the vacuum, radiation, and intense cold outside the ISS.
NASA highlights that even with sterilization, human presence carries microbes that could contaminate space environments, raising planetary protection concerns.
NASA emphasizes that the findings will inform future spacecraft and spacesuit designs to limit contamination during Mars and other planetary explorations.
Preventing Earth-based microbes from contaminating Mars is crucial, especially as NASA gears up for human expeditions to the red planet.
The European Space Agency underscores the Outer Space Treaty’s requirements to prevent harmful contamination during interplanetary exploration.
Past missions, like Apollo 12’s retrieval of a contaminated camera from Surveyor 3, highlight how microbes can survive even in extreme environments.
This mission showcases the global commitment to safeguarding planets from Earthly contamination, preserving their environments for authentic discovery.