This is a phrase that we frequently encounter on social media and news pages lately, the Plague of Mars. In fact, this is not a completely proven thing, it's just a theory. But just because it's a theory doesn't mean it's something to be taken lightly. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the European Space Agency (ESA) are working together to bring samples from Martian rock and soil to Earth for thorough testing.
NASA and ESA plan to launch a land vehicle in 2026 to collect samples collected by the Perseverance rover, which landed on the Red Planet last February. As a result of the project, it is planned that the soils and rocks on Mars, together with some possible micro-organisms, will reach Earth within the next 10 years. "Bringing pristine samples from the surface of Mars to Earth has been the goal of scientists on our planet for generations," NASA said in a statement.
However, a member of the International Committee Against Mars Sample Return, established by a group of scientists claiming that samples taken from Mars pose enormous risks to Earth, Dr. Gilbert Levin is not very enthusiastic about this. Participating in NASA's Viking program from 1975 to 1983, Dr. Levin stated that there is a high probability that any piece brought from the Red Planet will cause an epidemic on Earth. On the other hand, scientists from ICAMSR issued a similar warning, referring to astronomer Carl Sagan's 1973 book The Cosmic Connection:
"The Red Planet has an environment of great biological interest. Possible samples from Mars may contain pathogens, organisms that could cause enormous biological damage to our planet, and even these organisms could lead to a Martian Plague".
While this is advocating for a world to be established with the sample of scientists who are worried. In this way, even if there is a risk to those coming from Mars, before it can be avoided without posing a risk to humanity.
Comments