Building the Microbial Hitchhikers Guide to the Solar System

A view of the stratosphere aboard a 2014 E-MIST mission that tested the functionality of their experiment container. (Credit: NASA) There are no free rides into space, and NASA is taking every precaution to keep it that way. NASA Wallops Flight Facility will soon launch a massive weather balloon carrying hardy bacteria into the stratosphere to study microbial freeloaders that might attempt to hitch a ride into space. While the launch has been delayed over the last two weeks due to unfavorable weather, the team anticipates a successful launch next week out of Fort Sumner, New Mexico. If it turns out terrestrial microorganisms can survive in the stratosphere’s extreme conditions, there's a chance they could spoil the party if we ever discover life on another planet.