Re: SPACE: Lunar Ben&Jerrys?

Enigl@aol.com
Wed, 1 Jan 1997 16:36:21 -0500

In a message dated 97-01-01 10:23:07 EST, you write:

<< > >That makes me wonder if we could recover viable _Bacillus_ or
_Clostridium_
> >spores (or mold ascospores) placed there accidently or by a microbiology
> >experiment. Is the Moon able to sterilize the Earthly spores?

No, I recall that one of the Apollo expeditions retrieved parts of one of
the earlier probes, and found viable spores and encysted bacteria inside
it after several years of exposure to the moon environment.
>>

NASA had a policy to sterilize everything sent into space, so we would 1)
not confuse _our own_ contamination for new life and 2) we would not grow
our our bacteria, yeasts, molds, in new places. So much for _that_ theory.

Thanks for responding with your information. That encourages me to find
something alive out there.

Davin C. Enigl, MS-MEAS
President-Microbiologist

Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point Validations
for the Food, Cosmetic and Pharmaceutical Industry

HACCP Validations (sm)
enigl@aol.com
http://members.aol.com/enigl/index.html

January 1, 1997
1:30 pm