Will Mars challenge the “prime directive”?

The Space Review ^ | 01/02/07 | James C. McLane III

[KevinDavis]

Experts believe a modern, high integrity quarantine lab must be built to study rock samples retrieved from Mars. Some have even stated that human trips to Mars ought to be postponed until we can guarantee that people will not biologically pollute the alien Martian surface. I don’t agree with these ideas.

It’s not surprising that the Moon rocks brought back by Apollo astronauts proved to be sterile. After all, the lunar environment is especially harsh. Mars, however, is a different story. The possible microfossils found inside a Martian meteorite and the water-carved appearance of the planet’s surface argue that, sometime in the past, Mars probably experienced life-supporting conditions.

To avoid accidentally infecting the Red Planet with earthly microbes, space vehicles headed for Mars are usually sterilized before launch. The long soak in interplanetary radiation, the high vacuum, and the extreme cold of deep space probably extinguishes any remaining biological activity on board, even killing organisms that might be hiding inside electronic components. The pulse of heat from descent into the planet’s atmosphere may provide yet another safeguard.

[KevinDavis]

[cripplecreek]

During the study phase I'm all for avoiding contamination of mars. BUT, if avoiding contamination of every place we go becomes too important, our ability to do anything there will be come non existent.

[festus]

I guess that means we can't build a WalMart there.........

[SampleMan]

Once we determine there is no life there, I say contaminate away. Some life is better than none. Send Kudzu and dandelions. They will cover the surface of Mars within 100 years.

[verum ago]

an interesting article... of course, if there are organisms living on Earth that may have survived space travel on a meteorite, as the author suggests, than their survival in a shielded spacecraft should present no problems to them. The author also neglects to touch on lifeforms, mainly bacteria, that when presented with conditions they aren't adapted to can form spores that are incredibly resistant to all manner of varying conditions.
that said, the factors he cites do pretty much assure that contamination is not an issue.

[La Enchiladita]

Send Kudzu ...

Tooo funny..

[Professional Engineer]

Send Kudzu

The vine that ate The South Mars.

[SunkenCiv]

FWIW, I'm opposed to a sample return mission from Mars, and to human descent to Mars until robotic studies of the surface have ruled out microbial life.

The Viking Labeled Release Experiment and Life on Mars
by Gilbert V. Levin

Many hypotheses have been advanced and tested in attempts to account for the well-characterized activity detected in the surface material of Mars by the LR experiment. As shown above, these hypotheses have themselves been found wanting. The demonstrated success of the LR and the exquisite sensitivity with which it has detected microorganisms during its extensive test program with its record of no false positives can no longer be denied. No non-biological approach published, or known to the author, has duplicated the LR Mars data. Some laboratory experiments have produced positive responses, but the detailed thermal sensitivity exhibited by the variety of controls conducted on Mars has remained elusive in all such tests compatible with martian conditions. On the other hand, a combination of known properties of microorganisms, perhaps even those possessed by single species, could reproduce all aspects of the LR data. The biological interpretation of the Mars LR results is left standing alone. Recent discoveries of life forms thriving in extraordinarily severe environments on Earth strongly indicate that any alien organisms arriving on Mars might well and widely adapt to their new home. Application of the scientific principle leads to a conclusion: the Viking LR experiment detected living microorganisms in the soil of Mars.

[miliantnutcase]

Can't we just skip this process and go right to the development of giant space battleships filled with space marines ready to unleash hell onto nasty alien planets.

[Egon]

I'm sorry, let me get this straight:

We'll purposely kill millions of unborn humans on a whim, but we're worried about accidentally killing microorganisms on some other planet??

I feel like I've been taking crazy pills here!

[Jedi Master Pikachu]

And Americans did that (kudzu and dandelions) to themselves. Dandelions taken from Europe as produce and kudzu....to inhibit the growth of another weed?

In any case, ditch the prime directive: there is probably no other ordinary life (so minus angels and God) besides that on Earth. And any potential extraterrestrial life that might exist probably came from the Earth (panspermia with Earth as the source, not the recipient).

[anymouse]

All joking aside, if aliens do exist, we better have bigger weapons and faster spaceships than they do, before we go "knocking on their backdoor asking to borrow a cup of sugar."

If Mars does have life, then we best make sure that we are on the top of the food chain when we get there.

[miliantnutcase]

Agreed.

[SunkenCiv]

Viking Landers May Have Missed Martian Life
New Scientist | 10-23-2006 | Mark Buchanan - David L Chandler
Posted on 10/23/2006 10:14:16 PM EDT by blam
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1724685/posts