Findings from the current study are crucial for assessing contamination risks for future missions to planetary destinations like the Moon and Mars.

NASA is particularly focused on minimizing human contamination on Mars to avoid misidentifying Earth-based microorganisms as Martian life.

Astronauts are set to conduct a spacewalk to collect samples from areas near life support system vents on the International Space Station (ISS) as part of the External Microorganisms experiment.

This experiment aims to investigate extremophiles—organisms that thrive in extreme environments—and assess their potential impact on human life during future missions to Mars and the Moon.

While spacecraft and spacesuits are sterilized before missions, astronauts inevitably carry unique microbiomes that can contribute to contamination in space.

Microbiologist Sarah Wallace noted that despite sterilization efforts, some microbes will always accompany astronauts and their equipment.

Concerns about contamination have been raised due to older spacecraft potentially not adhering to the same sterilization standards, highlighting the importance of planetary protection.

An example of contamination was seen with NASA's Surveyor 3 lander, where a camera retrieved by Apollo 12 astronauts was found to have survived sterilization and extreme conditions.

The European Space Agency emphasizes the need for precautions against harmful contamination during space exploration, as mandated by Article IX of the Outer Space Treaty.

The experiment will evaluate existing designs and protocols for minimizing contamination risks, potentially leading to improvements in spacecraft and spacesuit designs.

Insights gained from studying extremophiles could also benefit Earth industries, particularly pharmaceuticals and agriculture.

The results of this research may inform the hypothesis of Panspermia, which suggests that life on Earth could have originated from microorganisms that survived space travel.