Overview
- The peer-reviewed paper in Applied and Environmental Microbiology, published Tuesday, reports that spores of Aspergillus calidoustus endured spaceflight and Mars-like conditions in lab tests.
- Researchers collected 27 fungal strains from NASA spacecraft-assembly cleanrooms used for Mars 2020, then exposed their spores to ultraviolet light, ionizing radiation, low pressure, extreme cold, and Mars-like dust.
- Only a combined hit of very high radiation with extreme cold reliably killed A. calidoustus spores, while single stressors often left them viable.
- The team found broad resilience across cleanroom fungi, with 23 strains resisting ultraviolet exposure used in sterilization, highlighting limits in protocols built around bacterial spores.
- The study warns of forward-contamination risks that could confuse life-detection science or affect life-support gear, while stressing it quantifies risk rather than showing Mars has been contaminated.