Astrobiologist Claims That NASA Accidentally Killed Life on Mars
Could NASA have unintentionally wiped out Martian life decades ago? According to Dirk Schulze-Makuch, an astrobiologist at the Technical University of Berlin, the space agency's early experiments on Mars may have unknowingly destroyed microbial life. This startling theory, tied to events from nearly 50 years ago, has been described as “surprisingly plausible” by fellow scientists. But how could this have happened, and what does it mean for future space exploration? Let’s delve into the details of this cosmic controversy! 🌌
A theory garnering significant attention in the scientific community points to NASA initiatives from nearly 50 years ago!
Shortly after the Apollo 11 Moon landing in 1975, NASA sent two landers, Viking 1 and Viking 2, to Mars. Their mission was to study Martian soil and test whether it could produce living organisms.
One of the main objectives of the decades-long Viking project was to observe if plant life, similar to that on Earth, could grow in Martian soil by adding water.
Both Viking landers detected 'inconclusive microbial' material in Martian soil, opening the door to decades of research and relentless curiosity. However, the act of adding water to the soil might have inadvertently spelled the end of potential life on the Red Planet, a barren desert world.
Astrobiologist Dirk Schulze-Makuch has raised concerns that the Viking landers may have accidentally killed potential life on Mars by introducing water.
According to Schulze-Makuch's research, salts in the Martian atmosphere could absorb moisture, potentially providing all the water needed for native microbes. This suggests that these 'living components' might have been too delicate to withstand the addition of extra liquid directly into their environment.
Schulze-Makuch compared the Viking experiment to an alien visiting Earth, seeing a desert, and concluding,
'These people need water,' only to place humans in the middle of the ocean. He also referenced studies conducted in the Atacama Desert, where heavy rainfall killed 70% to 80% of natural bacteria, which couldn’t cope with the sudden influx of water.
Perhaps life on Mars, unlike on Earth, could have developed a unique way to absorb just the right amount of water without human interference.
Schulze-Makuch emphasized the critical role of water activity in microbial life. After discussing this theory in the Netherlands, Nature Astronomy published commentary on it, titled 'Are We Searching for Life on Mars in the Wrong Place?'
“These people weren’t stupid, and I think the approach was correct for the time,” Schulze-Makuch noted, adding that today's tools, insights, and methodologies are far superior.
He underscored the need to continue searching for life on Mars, expressing confidence that time will reveal who is ultimately correct.
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