Parts of Mars are too salty for Earth’s microorganisms to survive

Microorganisms from Earth traveling to Mars aboard spacecraft would struggle to survive in pockets of salty brine on the Red Planet, a new study suggests. This could be good news for the exploration of Mars, as these conditions would make it less likely the planet may be contaminated by microbes from Earth, hitching a ride on landers touching down on the alien surface. Planetary protection from microbes from Earth has been a goal of NASA and other space agencies since the earliest days of space exploration. “Such regions would be of concern for planetary protection policies owing to the potential…

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