Tag

Lithopanspermia

All articles tagged with #lithopanspermia

space-exploration1 month ago•53 min saved

Rocky hitchhikers: hardy microbes may shuttle life between planets

A Johns Hopkins-led study shows the bacterium Deinococcus radiodurans can survive pressures up to about 1.4–2.4 gigapascals from simulated asteroid impacts, lending support to lithopanspermia—the idea that microbes could hitchhike on rock fragments between planets. While not proof that life transferred from Mars to Earth or vice versa, the findings suggest microbes could endure interplanetary transfer, potentially prompting reevaluation of planetary-protection rules.

via Space|

#asteroids #deinococcus-radiodurans #lithopanspermia

space-and-spaceflight1 month ago•16 min saved

Tiny Life Survives Asteroid-Scale Shock in Lithopanspermia Test

Johns Hopkins researchers simulated the harsh journey life might take on a rock traveling between planets, blasting Deinococcus radiodurans between metal plates at speeds up to 300 mph to mimic asteroid ejection from Mars. The microbes withstood 1–3 gigapascals of pressure, with only some internal damage, while the steel plates failed. The study lends support to the lithopanspermia idea that life could hitch rides on asteroids, but it remains unproven and limited in scope, and it underscores the need for planetary protection and further testing on other extremophiles.

via Gizmodo|

#asteroids #astrobiology #extremophiles