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How To Protect Mars From Earth's Germs

NPR
Published October 27, 2015 at 12:12 PM EDT
This low-angle self-portrait of NASA's Curiosity Mars rover shows the vehicle at the site from which it reached down to drill into a rock target called "Buckskin." The MAHLI camera on Curiosity's robotic arm took multiple images on Aug. 5, 2015, that were stitched together into this selfie. (NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS)
This low-angle self-portrait of NASA's Curiosity Mars rover shows the vehicle at the site from which it reached down to drill into a rock target called "Buckskin." The MAHLI camera on Curiosity's robotic arm took multiple images on Aug. 5, 2015, that were stitched together into this selfie. (NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS)

NASA officials are meeting in Houston today to discuss something straight out of science fiction: where should humans land on the surface of Mars? They'll be weighing geography and climate, but also something you might not expect: our own bacteria.

Scientists say our microbes could contaminate the Martian surface, and they are trying to figure out how to prevent that from happening. Lauren Sommer from Here & Now contributor KQED explains.

  • Read more via KQED

    • Guest

  • Lauren Sommer, science and environment reporter for KQED. She tweets @lesommer.

    • Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.