NASA Study: Fungi and Bacteria Can Endure Moon

Recent NASA-led research suggests that some terrestrial microbes could survive for weeks or months on the Moon, particularly in permanently shadowed craters at the lunar South Pole during colder seasons.

Fungal species, especially Aspergillus niger and Fusarium, proved more resilient than bacteria such as Deinococcus radiodurans, Staphylococcus aureus, and Bacillus subtilis. These microbes faced threats from UV radiation, extreme temperatures, and the lunar vacuum.

The study modeled survivable niches, some as large as crater floors, where microbes could persist. While researchers focused on survival, not growth, conditions like buried soil could offer protection and warmth, potentially even allowing for pockets of liquid water.

This potential microbial persistence raises concerns for future exploration. Unintended contamination by Earth microbes could skew scientific findings regarding lunar chemistry and organic molecules. It highlights the need to track microbes brought from Earth to distinguish them from native lunar material.