Not-so-clean rooms: Scientists discover 26 new microbe species in NASA spacecraft facility
NASA's Phoenix Mars lander undergoes a test before its August 2007 launch.(Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/UA/Lockheed Martin)Life, as they say, finds a way — even in the most sterile places on Earth.
Scientists from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Southern California, along with researchers in India and Saudi Arabia, have discovered 26 previously unknown bacterial species in the clean rooms that were used to prep NASA's Phoenix Mars lander for its August 2007 launch.
Clean rooms are decontaminated and intensely controlled environments specifically designed to prevent microbial life from hitching a ride into space. But some microorganisms, known as extremophilesshow impressive resilience in inhospitable environments, whether that's the vacuum of space, hydrothermal vents on the slopes of undersea volcanoes, or even NASA clean rooms.
"Our study aimed to understand the risk of extremophiles being transferred in space missions and...
