The Moon’s polar regions may be less hostile to microbes than previously thought. This is the new finding from researchers at NASA and the University of Maryland in the US who say that future crewed missions to the lunar south pole will have to be carefully thought out to limit the unintended transfer of Earth life forms.
High ultraviolet radiation and temperatures make the Moon’s surface a harsh place and not somewhere bacteria and other micro-organisms can easily survive. This is particularly true for the equatorial regions, where all previous crewed missions have been sent. Things might be quite different at the lunar poles, however, since sunlight strikes these high-latitude regions at a low angle because of the Moon’s minimal tilt to the Sun of 1.5°. The result is long permanent shadows where it is cooler. The moonscape is also as rugged here as elsewhere with mountains and hills, which also cast shadows, and deep craters protected from the Sun’s heat and ultraviolet flux. These conditions allow for water ice too.
To read more, click here.