This past Monday, NASA announced that they’ve found definitive evidence of liquid water on Mars. The Curiosity rover is currently about 30 miles away from a location where NASA suspects water may flow. While obtaining a physical sample would revolutionize science, it’s forbidden by international law.
The Outer Space Treaty of 1967 prevents every nation on Earth from sending a mission, robot or human, close to a water source in the fear of contaminating it with life from Earth. In its 140-million-mile journey from Earth to Mars, it’s possible that Curiosity has carried harmful microbes all the way from home. Even though NASA tries its best to sterilize all space-traveling equipment before launch by subjecting it to intense ultraviolet light, it still might harbor microbial hitchhikers.
via Mental Floss
Image: NASA
