Since 50 years ago we stepped on the Moon, humanity has left an indelible mark on the Earth’s natural satellite; and we are not referring only to the footprint of the astronauts’ shoes (who will remain there for billions of years as there is no air to dissipate them). The human has left there hundreds of thousands of kilograms of material (astronaut boots, rovers, cameras, debris probes …)
But last April, a crash landing by the Israeli Beresheet spacecraft accidentally caused thousands of living creatures to spread across the lunar surface: tardigrades. This animal, less than a millimeter in size, is one of the most fascinating in nature, since it is practically indestructible : tardigrades can survive extreme radiation, scorching heat, the freezing temperatures of the universe and decades without food .
And what were thousands of tardigrades doing in a probe heading for the Moon? The spacecraft carried the Arch Mission Foundation’s first “lunar library”; specifically, a DVD-sized file that contained 30 million pages of information, samples of human DNA and also thousands of copies of these microscopic creatures, a kind of “backup” of the Earth. The Arch Mission Foundation is dedicated to archiving information about species for the knowledge of future generations. The idea of the galactic library was first conceived by the philosopher and science fiction writer Isaac Asimov.
According to statements made last Tuesday, August 6 by the co-founder and president of the Arch Mission Foundation, Nova Spivack, it is most likely that, after the forced landing carried out by the Beresheet probe, thousands of tardigrades came out alive and remained installed. there. “We believe that the chances of survival for tardigrades are extremely high .”
Now, why include these beings in a lunar library destined to cross space ?: “Tardigrades are ideal because they are microscopic, multicellular and one of the most sustainable life forms on Earth “, in the words of Spivack.
Thus, the tardigrades were dehydrated and placed in a deposit of artificial amber, to later be stored inside a nanotechnology device that resembles a DVD, along with microscopic matter such as human DNA and the microbes contained in the almost 100 bags of feces and urine left by American astronauts during the 1969-1972 Apollo moon landings.
In the weeks after the Beresheet accident, Spivack brought together advisers from the Arch Mission Foundation in an attempt to determine whether the lunar library had survived the accident. Based on his analysis of the spacecraft’s trajectory and the composition of the lunar library, Spivack says he is fairly certain that the nickel-thin sheet DVD-sized object survived the crash almost completely intact.
The Moon, a virgin until the arrival of humans on the Moon 50 years ago, now houses multiple “pots”: instruments, boots, pliers, cameras, commemorative objects, waste collection devices … in total, about 170,000 kilos of material, according to the company For All Moonkind; not counting our tardigrade friends.
Will the tardigrades be rescued?
It seems that these creatures, also called water bears, are doomed to extinction, despite being virtually indestructible. As we have mentioned, they can survive in water and are capable of withstanding temperatures of up to 150ºC and as low as -272ºC (almost absolute zero); but only for a few minutes. To become active, grow, eat and reproduce they would need water, air and food, so it will not be possible for them to multiply and form a colony.
NASA astrobiologist Cassie Conley pointed out that their exact survival time would depend on the condition of the impact they were exposed to: “If they don’t get too hot, they may be able to survive for many years. I would be more concerned if the animals are affected by toxic chemicals that the lunar library also contained ”. However, other scientists think that, precisely, the decision to have included human DNA in their library could be key to their survival.
Even if the creatures managed to live for several years, there is no planned manned mission to the Moon until NASA’s Artemis program in 2024 at the south pole, far from the Beresheet crash site in the Sea of Serenity, so tardigrades will probably never be rescued. They will not come home. If they are still alive, they are doomed.
Source: AFP
