Fear Of Populating Mars With Germs

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30678, 18 February 1965, Page 7

Fear Of Populating Mars With Germs

(N Z. Press Assn.—Copyright) DENVER (Colorado). Keep Mars -elean. Otherwise, bacterially speaking, one may not be able to tell Martians from earthlings. That was the message sent by seven American space experts to 1000 scientists at a symposium on unmanned exploration of space. The experts are worried that America and Russia, in the quest for life on Mars, may ruin the planet with “dirty” machines. They say a carelessly cleaned space vehicle could IN Africa drums are used io convey a message from one community to another. A more effective method mainly used in the South Island is “The Press’’ Classifieds. Buying. Selling, or Seeking, Dial 50*199. Our operators will be pleased to help you

cause scientific havoc on the . planet. One earth-born germ, dividing once every 30 days, could populate Mars in eight years with as many microbes as there are on earth today.. They have urged America 1 to reach Mars before the • Russians dirty the planet with 1 germs. Even the best U.S. sterilisation techniques cannot I guarantee a 100 per cent 1 germ-free space machine. . But, the experts say, at 1 least the Americans try, and “no comparable programme is ’ in evidence elsewhere in the I world.” ; Introduction of earth ■ germs would “hopelessly ■ mask the results of our own . experiments and would de- . stroy for-all time the unique i state of biological development on Mars,” they say.