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Wouldn't sending out any lifeforms from Earth to other planets contaminate, for lack of a better word, the environment there? There could be a lot about these p
by pavanred 13y ago
Wouldn't sending out any lifeforms from Earth to other planets contaminate, for lack of a better word, the environment there? There could be a lot about these places that we don't know yet.
- bradleyland 13y agoWere the moon teeming with life, that might be a concern, but we know with a reasonable degree of certainty that the moon is without life. It's unlikely that any life well-adapted to earth's environment will flourish on the moon without a support system, so there is little risk of harm to the moon's environment (or lack thereof).
- greyfade 13y agoNot in these cases. The plants are going to be sent in sealed containers which themselves will be free of external contamination. Barring physical damage like a meteor impact or a crashed lander, the chance of "contaminating" the moon is slim to none. Even then, the conditions on the moon are such that organisms will either die or go completely dormant in the low-temperature, oxygen-free environment.