On the Moon, Microbes Have it Made in the Shade, Scientists Say

Extreme temperatures and intense ultraviolet (UV) radiation render the moon a hostile place for life as we know it. Now, a new study that includes a UMD co-author pinpoints shaded nooks and crannies around the lunar south pole where bacteria and fungi from Earth can survive for at least a week. 

The NASA-led study, which could have implications for future space missions, was published in the journal Science Advances on Wednesday.

“When we created lunar maps with purple, red and blue representing different surviving microbe species, we were surprised at how colorfully they turned out,” said Stefano Bertone, an associate research scientist in the University of Maryland’s Department of Astronomy and a study co-author. “So much for ‘nothing can survive on the moon.’”

The paper’s findings highlight a need to better understand microbial persistence, which varies dramatically between organisms, in extreme lunar environments. As humans build a permanent presence on the moon and begin landing on Mars, it may become difficult to distinguish ancient chemistry from contamination astronauts leave behind. 

“We need to understand what was there before us, because when we go to Mars to search for signs of life beyond our planet, we will want to make sure it’s not stuff we brought,” said Prabal Saxena, a planetary scientist at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center who led the new study. 

The scientists tested microbes commonly found in spaceflight environments and on human skin in simulations of three regions near the lunar south pole that are landing site candidates for the upcoming Artemis III mission. 

The models showed maps of “survivable niches” in a range of sizes, with survival times of up to seven days. Notable findings included the extreme UV resilience of the Aspergillus fungus, which could potentially survive in 15 to 30% of areas receiving some sunlight during lunar winter. The reconstructions also showed that each microbe found survivable areas in all three regions—with Aspergillus persisting on 3% of the mapped landscape for at least seven days.

Survival is not the same as growth, and there is no evidence the moon has key ingredients to sustain growth and replication, including liquid water, which typically requires an atmosphere and moderate temperatures. 

Still, survival is a precondition for growth and remains highly relevant to exploration and science, Bertone said.

This press release was adapted from text provided by NASA.