Bacteria from Earth could be used to exploit the Moon or Mars

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Microorganisms are already used on Earth to extract economically important elements from rocks, including rare earths, used in cell phones and electronics.

Scientists in the UK spent 10 years developing matchbox-sized biomining reactors for the experiment. Eighteen of the devices were transported to the ISS aboard a SpaceX rocket in July 2019. Small pieces of basalt, similar to much of the material on the surface of the moon and Mars, were loaded into devices and soaked in a bacterial solution.

The three-week experiment evaluated the potential of three species of bacteria to extract rare earth elements from basalt. Only one, Sphingomonas desiccabilis, was able to leach rare earth elements from basalt under all three different gravity conditions – microgravity (sometimes called zero gravity), Mars-like gravity, and below the norm conditions on Earth.

The results of the study, published Tuesday in the journal Nature Communications, show that biomining on the moon and on Mars may be possible.

No lunar gold rush yet

Harnessing these elements in space and bringing them back to Earth is unlikely to be economically viable, according to Charles Cockell, professor of astrobiology in the School of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Edinburgh, who led the project. However, he said space biomining could potentially support a self-sustaining human presence in space.

This British company has a contract to turn moon dust into oxygen

“Our experiments support the scientific and technical feasibility of biologically enhanced elemental mining across the solar system,” he said in a press release.

“For example, our results suggest that the construction of robotic and anthropogenic mines in the Oceanus Procellarum region of the Moon, which contains rocks rich in rare earth elements, could be a successful direction of human scientific and economic development. beyond Earth. . “

This biomining reactor contains small slices of basalt rock.
Many countries are interested in space resources. NASA said it is looking for commercial companies to collect dust and rocks from the lunar surface, as well as plans to send the first woman and the next man to the moon as part of its Artemis mission from here. 2024.
The European Space Agency has announced plans to begin extracting water and oxygen from the moon by 2025. Later this year, China is expected to launch a rover that will land on the moon and bring back samples of lunar soil on Earth.

“Microorganisms are very versatile, and as we move through space they can be used to accomplish a variety of processes. Elementary mining is potentially one of them, ”said Rosa Santomartino, postdoctoral researcher at the School of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Edinburgh. , who worked on the project.

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