• Question: do you think if we send satellites to another planet that could have life on it, we could kill them by contaminating their air or water?

    Asked by danwoolfenden to Daphne on 14 Mar 2012.
    • Photo: Daphne Ng

      Daphne Ng answered on 14 Mar 2012:

      Excellent question! You are thinking like a scientist! In fact, scientists have considered this. To make sure that it doesn’t happen, space probes and satellites are sterilized to kill any microorganisms present on them before they are sent into outer space. In this way, we won’t introduce microorganisms from Earth into outer space.

Comments

  • Photo: ilovescience2991

    ilovescience2991 commented on :

    how could our earth microorganisms affact othe life forms in space or on a diffrent planet? also do you think they was/could me water on mars

  • Photo: Daphne

    Daphne commented on :

    Perhaps microorganisms on Earth could grow and compete with life forms in space, hence limiting the amount of resources available to them. This is similar to foreign species on Earth competing with native species for the same resources. In many cases, the foreign species grow much better and numbers of native species decrease, sometimes to the point of near extinction.

    There is water on Mars but most of it is in the form of ice caps. So there is very little water vapour in the atmosphere and liquid water as well. That’s why it doesn’t rain on Mars and no Martians have been found so far. But scientists believe that there could have been liquid water on Mars millions of years ago. So who knows, maybe Martians existed in the past!