Gerst: There could be traces of earthly life on the moon

Space travel - Gerst: There could be traces of earthly life on the moon

Astronaut Alexander Gerst hopes that missions to the moon could provide more information about the development of life on Earth.

"Perhaps we will find meteorites on the moon that came from the Earth, i.e. rock fragments that were catapulted out of the Earth by a large impact at some point in the past and then landed on the moon," Gerst told the German Press Agency in Berlin. The 47-year-old is a possible candidate for the planned US missions "Artemis 4" and "Artemis 5" to the moon in a few years' time.

Earth rocks on the moon could possibly contain traces of early terrestrial life, such as microbes, explained Gerst. "That would be extremely exciting." On Earth, such traces could hardly be found due to plate tectonics. The moon, on the other hand, has been geologically quiet for billions of years.

Thrown up, rolled over, melted down

Tectonic movements cause rocks on Earth, including all the traces they contain, to be thrown up, rolled over and melted down in a continuous process. "We have almost nothing from the early days of the Earth, and what little we do have is heavily overprinted geologically," said Matthias Nieuwenhuis from the Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research in Göttingen. "On the moon, on the other hand, nothing happens."

According to current knowledge, the oldest evidence of life on Earth is around 3.5 billion years old. According to current assumptions, the moon was formed at least 4.46 billion years ago from debris from the collision of the primordial Earth with the Mars-sized celestial body Theia. It could therefore be a valuable archive of early life on our planet.

Material from the Earth on the moon

Analyses had shown that a moonstone brought to Earth by astronauts during the "Apollo" missions in 1971 could contain material from Earth. The composition of the small fragment is typical for the Earth, but unusual for the moon, explained Nieuwenhuis. According to estimates, around 36 to 61 kilograms of Earth rock per square kilometer could have reached the moon in the last 3.9 billion years alone, and in certain places even half a ton per square kilometer.

At around three kilometers per second, the speed of impact of such material is rather low, explained the planetary researcher. "That's why fossils from the Earth's early history could actually still be found there." Traces of early Earth microbes may have been preserved on the moon to this day in the form of biological and chemical markers.

Astronaut versus robot

Nieuwenhuis believes it is realistic that an astronaut and not a robot will find such rocks at some point. "A suitably trained astronaut has a special eye for their surroundings: what doesn't fit here, what is unusual?" He can head straight for unusual rocks, which increases the chance of a spectacular find.

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1. In the context of Space travel, Matthias Nieuwenhuis from the Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research in Germany expressed interest in the potential of moon missions for understanding the history of Earth's life.
2. The 'International Space Station' is currently home to German astronaut Alexander Gerst, who is eager for future missions to the moon, such as 'Artemis 4' and 'Artemis 5'.
3. Nieuwenhuis explains that Earth's tectonic movements often lead to the destruction or relocation of valuable geological data, making the moon, with its geological stability, a potential treasure trove of Earth's early history.
4. Gerst, like many scientists, believes that the moon might contain traces of early terrestrial life, potentially in the form of microbes, due to the lack of geological activity.
5. The 'German Press Agency' reported that during the 'Apollo' missions in 1971, astronauts brought back moonstones which showed signs of Earth's material, suggesting the possibility of Earth life existing on the moon.
6. According to Nieuwenhuis, the impact speed of Earth rocks on the moon was relatively low, which could mean that early terrestrial organisms or their traces might still be preserved on the moon in the form of biological or chemical markers.
7. Gerst emphasized that while robots have their roles in space exploration, their sensory limitations may hinder the discovery of these potential life traces, emphasizing the importance of human astronauts' observations and intuition.
8. In light of these possibilities and given the success of 'Artemis 1', it seems that the 'International Space Community' and European collaborations like the 'Max Planck Institute' are poised for an exciting chapter in Astronomy and the understanding of Evolution.

Source: www.stern.de