• Question: So how often does the bacteria survive the extreme temperatures and what does this mean for Tim's mission

    Asked by Jake_Kiddell to Beth on 7 Oct 2015.
    • Photo: Beth Healey

      Beth Healey answered on 7 Oct 2015:


      Hi Jake,

      The conditions here are so extreme that it is really unusual for bacteria to be able to survive. This is why it’s so interesting. Only once before have we found a bacteria which was alive outside in Concordia many years ago.

      The reason it is important is because if bacteria are found to be able to survive at Concordia then perhaps they may also survive or be found on other planets! For example Mars which has similar conditions to Concordia. This is why Concordia is often refered to as ‘White Mars’.

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