NASA-backed study: Aspergillus calidoustus spores survive up to 1.5 years in Mars-like conditions
Turns out, some fungi are tougher than we thought!
A NASA-backed study just showed that spores from Aspergillus calidoustus, a fungus found in spacecraft assembly cleanrooms, can survive for up to one and a half years (1.5 years) in conditions similar to those on Mars.
Think freezing temperatures, super low pressure, and intense UV radiation.
This finding is making scientists rethink how we protect other planets from Earth life as we gear up for deeper space missions.
Update cleaning protocols to include fungi
Right now, most cleaning protocols focus on bacteria because they're known survivors.
But since these hardy fungal spores can also make it through extreme sterilization (like neutron radiation and heat), experts say it's time to update the rules to include fungi too.
This helps make sure we don't accidentally bring Earth microbes to Mars and keeps us in line with international space agreements as we plan our next big adventures.