Bacteria from laboratories on Earth may have accidentally gotten to Mars. Scientists have discovered a microorganism called Tersicoccus phoenicis, which is able to survive the most stringent sterilization procedures used by NASA. This is stated in a study published in the journal Microbiology Spectrum. The discovery calls into question the complete sterility of spacecraft and raises the question of the possibility of transferring terrestrial life to other planets.

This type of bacteria was discovered in two independent sterile rooms – at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida and at the European Space Agency facility in French Guiana. T. phoenicis remained undetected even after ultraviolet irradiation, chemical treatment and heating. Only genetic analysis showed that the samples contained a new microorganism capable of withstanding extreme conditions.

Microbiologist Madhan Tirumalai of the University of Houston explained that the bacterium survives thanks to its ability to go into deep hibernation. It is activated only in the presence of the protein Rpf (resuscitation-promoting factor), which is found, among other things, on human skin. “It is not dead — it is just playing dead,” the researcher noted. This explains how the bacterium could have gone unnoticed for so long.

Scientists draw attention to the fact that the bacterium was discovered in the rooms where the Phoenix Mars Lander, launched in 2007, was being prepared. If T. phoenicis was already present and was in a state of hibernation at that time, it could have gotten to Mars. Although its survival in space is unlikely, the researchers do not rule out that some microorganisms could accompany interplanetary missions.

According to scientists, dozens of new species of bacteria resistant to standard cleaning methods are still being discovered in NASA and ESA sterile rooms. Genetic sequencing and Rpf protein activation are used to detect them. These approaches should reduce the risk of accidental transfer of terrestrial life during future missions to the Moon and Mars.