Mars visits risk contaminating potential Martian life

The prospect of human exploration on Mars raises ethical concerns about planetary contamination, as Earth-based microbes will inevitably be introduced to the Martian environment. This could potentially harm any existing Martian life. A recent study of clean rooms at the Kennedy Space Center identified 26 novel bacterial species capable of surviving harsh space conditions, highlighting the challenge of preventing cross-contamination. NASA's sterilization efforts are extensive, but human beings cannot be sterilized. The discovery of Earth bacteria on the Moon, and the potential for microbes to survive in space, underscores the risk of introducing terrestrial life to Mars, raising questions about the ethics of Martian exploration before confirming the presence of indigenous life.