Scientists Say This Fungus Could Survive the Trip to Mars

Researchers found that Aspergillus calidoustus spores from NASA cleanrooms tolerated multiple Mars-like stresses better than other fungal samples.

The fungus survived cold, radiation, low pressure, and regolith exposure, but failed when extreme cold and high radiation were combined.

The result suggests some fungi could survive spacecraft assembly, interplanetary travel, and parts of the Martian surface.

That raises planetary protection concerns, since Earth microbes could contaminate Mars and complicate life-detection efforts.