Scientists Say There May Be Life on the Moon
In a preprint study presented at the 56th Lunar and Planetary Science Conference last month, scientists propose that permanently shadowed regions of the Moon, or PSRs, have the right conditions to shelter microbial life forms — which could have profound implications for our efforts to explore the Earth's craggy satellite.
Some PSRs haven't seen sunlight in billions of years, due to the slight tilt the Moon has on its axis. That's not news, but what's surprising is that these lightless voids could also be sanctuaries from deadly UV radiation, too.
"In space, microbes are typically killed by high heat and ultraviolet radiation," study lead author John Moores, a planetary scientist and associate professor at York University in the UK, told Universe Today. "However, the PSRs are very cold and very dark and, as a result, they are one of the most protective environments in the Solar System for the kinds of microbes that are typically present on spacecraft."
In other words, the PSRs could act as a freezer, preserving the microbes for years — "preserving" being the key word.
"To be clear, those microbes cannot metabolize, replicate or grow here, but they likely remain viable for decades until their spores are killed by the effects of vacuum," Moores added. "The organic molecules that make up their cells likely would persist far longer."
The chance of contaminating the lunar surface with Earth germs has always been a top concern for scientists. Beyond ethical and philosophical considerations, there's a practical case for ensuring that we don't ruin the data we collect in our quest to deepen our understanding of the lunar environment.
One item on that checklist? PSRs, which have seen a surge of scientific interest in recent years. In fact, NASA's Artemis program is targeting a landing near the lunar South Pole, where the enduring shadows cloak the landscape. One PSR, the Shackleton Crater, is even being considered as a potential landing site.
If the PSRs could serve as microbial freezers, however, then any contamination that humans bring there could persist for decades and more — far longer than other regions on the Moon — setting back lunar ambitions there for generations.
Grimly, it's possible that this may already be the case.
"The chance that there is already terrestrial microbial contamination in the PSRs is low but not zero," Moores told Universe Today. "Several spacecraft have impacted within or near the PSRs. Though they all did so at high speed, past research by others has suggested that small numbers of spores can survive simulated impacts into regolith-like materials. If any microbes survived those impacts, they would have been widely dispersed."
More on the Moon: Robot Survived Failed Lunar Landing But Was Trapped Inside and Died Afterward
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Business Wire
29 minutes ago
- Business Wire
Eureka Therapeutics Appoints Dr. Reginald Seeto and William S. Solari III to Board of Directors
EMERYVILLE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Eureka Therapeutics, Inc., a clinical-stage biotechnology company pioneering safer and more effective T-cell therapies, today announced the appointment of Dr. Reginald Seeto and William S. Solari III to its Board of Directors. "Their guidance will be instrumental as we advance key clinical milestones and unlock the full potential of our pipeline," said Cheng Liu, Ph.D., Founder and CEO of Eureka Therapeutics. Dr. Seeto is a global leader in biopharmaceuticals and diagnostics with expertise in corporate strategy, business development, and operations. He currently serves as President and CEO of Scipher Medicine. Previously, he was President and CEO of CareDx, Inc., guiding the company through a period of rapid growth. He served as Chief Operating Officer at Ardelyx, where he built international partnerships to support commercialization, and held senior leadership roles at AstraZeneca, where he completed over 100 biologics transactions and managed portfolio strategy for more than 150 assets. His earlier career includes McKinsey & Company, Boehringer Ingelheim, and Organon. Mr. Solari brings over 30 years of legal and financial experience in corporate governance, mergers and acquisitions, and complex tax structuring. He was a partner at Jeffer Mangels Butler & Mitchell LLP before founding his own law practice, where he continues to advise clients across diverse industries. 'Reg and Bill bring exceptional leadership and strategic insight to our Board,' said Cheng Liu, Ph.D., Founder and CEO of Eureka Therapeutics. 'Their guidance will be instrumental as we advance key clinical milestones and unlock the full potential of our pipeline.' ABOUT EUREKA THERAPEUTICS, INC. Eureka's proprietary ARTEMIS ® CAR-T platform is designed to overcome key limitations of conventional CAR-T therapies by reducing toxicity to enable higher doses and repeat infusions, improving T-cell persistence for longer-lasting responses, and enhancing tumor infiltration to achieve more potent anti-tumor activity. Eureka's pipeline includes ET140203 (ARYA-2) for pediatric patients and ECT204 (ARYA-3) for adults, both in Phase I/II clinical trials for advanced liver cancer. Eureka Therapeutics, Inc. is headquartered in the San Francisco Bay Area. For more information, please visit
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
NASA launches second phase of moon recycling competition
Aug. 11 (UPI) -- NASA is launching the second phase of its moon recycling competition to clean up trash in space. The space agency's LunaRecycle Challenge is looking for the brightest minds to figure out a way to recycle plastics, foams and metals left behind by ongoing activity and building in space. "NASA is eager to see how reimagining these materials can be helpful to potential future planetary surface missions," said Jennifer Edmunson, acting program manager for Centennial Challenges at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Alabama. "I'm confident focusing on the most critical trash items -- and integration of the prototype and digital twin competition tracks -- will yield remarkable solutions," Edmunson added, "that could enable a sustainable human presence off-Earth and transform the future of space exploration." As the United States discusses replacing the International Space Station and placing a small nuclear reactor on the moon, the potential for increased waste in space is growing. LunaRecycle's Phase 1 competition attracted record-breaking interest with more than 1,200 registrations. Seventeen teams, from five countries and nine U.S. states, were named winners in that challenge. For Phase 2, only U.S. individuals and teams may participate and must build a physical prototype to manage a year's worth of trash. The challenge estimates a crew of four astronauts would produce more than 4,600 pounds of single-use waste to include food packaging and discarded clothing. The goal for competitors is to recycle the waste, while minimizing crew time and any hazards. Submissions for NASA's LunaRecycle milestone round, which is being administered by the University of Alabama, are open now and due January 2026. Finalists from that round will be announced in February with up to 20 finalists competing in the challenge's in-person prototype demonstrations next August. Successful solutions in both rounds could net winners cash prizes totaling $2 million. Solve the daily Crossword
Fast Company
3 hours ago
- Fast Company
NASA is putting a nuclear reactor on the moon. It could reshape space governance
The first space race was about flags and footprints. Now, decades later, landing on the moon is old news. The new race is to build there, and doing so hinges on power. In April 2025, China reportedly unveiled plans to build a nuclear power plant on the moon by 2035. This plant would support its planned international lunar research station. The United States countered in August, when acting NASA Administrator Sean Duffy reportedly suggested a U.S. reactor would be operational on the moon by 2030. While it might feel like a sudden sprint, this isn't exactly breaking news. NASA and the Department of Energy have spent years quietly developing small nuclear power systems to power lunar bases, mining operations, and long-term habitats. As a space lawyer focused on long-term human advancement into space, I see this not as an arms race but as a strategic infrastructure race. And in this case, infrastructure is influence. A lunar nuclear reactor may sound dramatic, but it's neither illegal nor unprecedented. If deployed responsibly, it could allow countries to peacefully explore the moon, fuel their economic growth, and test out technologies for deeper space missions. But building a reactor also raises critical questions about access and power. The legal framework already exists Nuclear power in space radioisotope generators that use small amounts of radioactive elements—a type of nuclear fuel— to power satellites, Mars rovers, and the Voyager probes. The United Nations' 1992 Principles Relevant to the Use of Nuclear Power Sources in Outer Space, a nonbinding resolution, recognizes that nuclear energy may be essential for missions where solar power is insufficient. This resolution sets guidelines for safety, transparency, and international consultation. Nothing in international law prohibits the peaceful use of nuclear power on the moon. But what matters is how countries deploy it. And the first country to succeed could shape the norms for expectations, behaviors, and legal interpretations related to lunar presence and influence. Why being first matters The 1967 Outer Space Treaty, ratified by all major spacefaring nations including the U.S., China, and Russia, governs space activity. Its Article IX requires that states act with 'due regard to the corresponding interests of all other States Parties.' That statement means if one country places a nuclear reactor on the moon, others must navigate around it, legally and physically. In effect, it draws a line on the lunar map. If the reactor anchors a larger, long-term facility, it could quietly shape what countries do and how their moves are interpreted legally, on the moon and beyond. Other articles in the Outer Space Treaty set similar boundaries on behavior, even as they encourage cooperation. They affirm that all countries have the right to freely explore and access the moon and other celestial bodies, but they explicitly prohibit territorial claims or assertions of sovereignty. At the same time, the treaty acknowledges that countries may establish installations such as bases—and with that, gain the power to limit access. While visits by other countries are encouraged as a transparency measure, they must be preceded by prior consultations. Effectively, this grants operators a degree of control over who can enter and when. Building infrastructure is not staking a territorial claim. No one can own the moon, but one country setting up a reactor could shape where and how others operate—functionally, if not legally. Infrastructure is influence where ice found in perpetually shadowed craters could fuel rockets and sustain lunar bases. These sought-after regions are scientifically vital and geopolitically sensitive, as multiple countries want to build bases or conduct research there. Building infrastructure in these areas would cement a country's ability to access the resources there and potentially exclude others from doing the same. Critics may worry about radiation risks. Even if designed for peaceful use and contained properly, reactors introduce new environmental and operational hazards, particularly in a dangerous setting such as space. But the U.N. guidelines do outline rigorous safety protocols, and following them could potentially mitigate these concerns. Why nuclear? Because solar has limits The moon has little atmosphere and experiences 14-day stretches of darkness. In some shadowed craters, where ice is likely to be found, sunlight never reaches the surface at all. These issues make solar energy unreliable, if not impossible, in some of the most critical regions. A small lunar reactor could operate continuously for a decade or more, powering habitats, rovers, 3D printers, and life-support systems. Nuclear power could be the linchpin for long-term human activity. And it's not just about the Moon—developing this capability is essential for missions to Mars, where solar power is even more constrained. A call for governance, not alarm The United States has an opportunity to lead not just in technology but in governance. If it commits to sharing its plans publicly, following Article IX of the Outer Space Treaty and reaffirming a commitment to peaceful use and international participation, it will encourage other countries to do the same. The future of the moon won't be determined by who plants the most flags. It will be determined by who builds what, and how. Nuclear power may be essential for that future. Building transparently and in line with international guidelines would allow countries to more safely realize that future. A reactor on the moon isn't a territorial claim or a declaration of war. But it is infrastructure. And infrastructure will be how countries display power—of all kinds—in the next era of space exploration. Michelle L.D. Hanlon is a professor of air and space law at the University of Mississippi. The early-rate deadline for Fast Company's Most Innovative Companies Awards is Friday, September 5, at 11:59 p.m. PT. Apply today.
