NASA-led study shows some Earth microbes could survive on the moon

Washington – The moon is, to put it mildly, an inhospitable place for people and other living organisms from Earth, with its lack of breathable air, extreme temperatures and exposure to relentless space radiation and energetic particles. That is why astronauts wear spacesuits and spacecraft are built with shielding. But how about the microbes that inevitably will hitchhike with astronauts during space exploration?

New research led by NASA scientists looking at five forms of fungi and bacteria indicates that some of them indeed could survive for a time under certain conditions on the lunar surface — a finding that raises concerns about unintended life transfer to the moon.