Microbial Hitchhikers: Contamination Risks on the Moon and Mars

Microbial Hitchhikers: Contamination Risks on the Moon and Mars

August 27, 2026 · 35 min · Season 29 · Episode 103

About this episode

The episode discusses the risks of microbial contamination on the Moon and Mars, highlights China's reusable rocket, and explores Russia's nuclear rocket motor development.

SpaceTime Series 29 Episode 103 *Warnings that some Earth microbes could contaminate the Moon NASA says some of Earth's microbes hitching a ride to space with human explorers could survive in the shaded nooks and crannies of the Moon's South Pole contaminating the otherwise pristine environment. *China’s first reusable rocket China has finally landed a reusable rocket in one piece. *Russia develops a nuclear rocket motor Russia has developed a prototype nuclear plasma engine which could cut journey times to Mars from 6 months to just 30 days. *September Skywatch The September equinox, and the constellations Capricorn, Pegasus, and Cygnus are among the highlights of the September night skies on SkyWatch. Our regular guests: Alex Zaharov-Reutt from techadvice.life Tim Mendham from Australian Skeptics And Senior science writer and Sky and Telescope magazine contributor Jonathan Nally 🌏 Get Our Exclusive NordVPN deal here ➼ www.bitesz.com/nordvpn . The discounts and bonuses are incredible! And it’s risk-free with Nord’s 30-day money-back guarantee! ✌ If you’d like to support the podcast and gain access to bonus content by becoming a SpaceTime crew member, you can do just that…

People in this episode

Host: Stuart Gary

Guests: Alex Zaharov-Reutt, Tim Mendham, Jonathan Nally

Topics covered

Keywords

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Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: NASA, China, Russia

Books & works: Sky and Telescope magazine

Places: Moon, Mars, South Pole

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