Why haven't we seeded a planet or moon yet?

[lajoswinkler]

You are right ofcourse, my bad

Really? The only pictures I ever saw were just a group on a podium with a mushroom cloud in the distance. What exactly do you mean with gutter?

Something like this?

This is not dangerous at all. Few kilometres away, gamma rays can't reach you. You can be blinded, but that's what covering your eyes is for.

I meant to say a trench, sorry. You can get even closer, where the blast is sufficient to knock you on the ground, but you're safe in a trench. There was at least one test where ordinary citizens participated in the trenches.

This is all harmless if you gtfo after the blast... something which many people didn't do.

I'd say mainly because of ethics. If there is Martian/Europan/Enceladean life, it's unethical to introduce earth life that might outcompete it, or at the very least, muddle the evidence of hat would be possibly the greatest scientific discovery ever.

Of course, if there is proven to be no life on Mars, I would be all in favour of genetically engineering bacteria for the purposes of terraforming, that would be incredible!

And the microbes would alter the geochemical image of the planet, rendering it useless for research. That would be a crime against the environment on a planetary scale. So many data would be lost.

[vger]

Lajos, google "charging the mushroom cloud."

[xcorps]

And the microbes would alter the geochemical image of the planet, rendering it useless for research. That would be a crime against the environment on a planetary scale. So many data would be lost.

I disagree. If we could genetically alter corn to grow on Mars, I say do it. Do it now. Who cares if it kills a few microbes on Mars? They serve us no purpose. But corn...corn leads to bacon.

[shynung]

I disagree. If we could genetically alter corn to grow on Mars, I say do it. Do it now. Who cares if it kills a few microbes on Mars? They serve us no purpose. But corn...corn leads to bacon.

I thought bacon comes from pigs.

Also, Martian microbes could have evolved traits that work better for Mars-bound organisms. Good for genetic engineering stuff. Killing them might not be a good idea.

[Dodgey]

Corn feeds pigs, it is the root of all bacon.

[Sirrobert]

I disagree. If we could genetically alter corn to grow on Mars, I say do it. Do it now. Who cares if it kills a few microbes on Mars? They serve us no purpose. But corn...corn leads to bacon.

Those potential microbes on Mars are part of the reason we spend countless billions sending robots there.

Offcourse, once we colonize the place, we'll have to engineer some things that can live there, so the colonists can produce their own food

[lajoswinkler]

Lajos, google "charging the mushroom cloud."

I know all about it. It depends on the distance, duration, etc.

There sure were some idiotic things (just look at early Chinese tests with their expendable fanatics, charging and chanting), but in essence, watching an atmospheric nuclear test can be done safely.

I disagree. If we could genetically alter corn to grow on Mars, I say do it. Do it now. Who cares if it kills a few microbes on Mars? They serve us no purpose. But corn...corn leads to bacon.

This has to be one of the stupidest posts on KSP forums. Honestly, dude. I was talking about geochemical data which has an extreme scientific value. Introducing a new life form to Mars would render all that useless. A whole planet filled with data, ruined.

Killing domestic microbe life would be even worse. It's a wealth of knowledge. If you think that is comparable to corn, then I pity you.

Edited May 12, 2014 by lajoswinkler

[sojourner]

This has to be one of the stupidest posts on KSP forums. Honestly, dude. I was talking about geochemical data which has an extreme scientific value. Introducing a new life form to Mars would render all that useless. A whole planet filled with data, ruined.

Killing domestic microbe life would be even worse. It's a wealth of knowledge. If you think that is comparable to corn, then I pity you.

^Joking. he was joking.

[vger]

^Joking. he was joking.

Hard to tell in this thread, really. The OP's position on the whole thing is even more 'gung ho' than the anything the Kerbals would try.

[xcorps]

I thought bacon comes from pigs.

A product of decadent Western education. Everyone knows bacon comes from butchers. But it is irresponsible to send a butcher to Mars.

If you think that is comparable to corn, then I pity you.

Have no fear. Unlike that filthy kulak Ivan Denisovich, I am no informer. I will keep your little slip between us. Have no fear.

[Seret]

We have actually contaminated the surface of Mars, but that's ok. It's surface environment is so good at killing pretty everything that they don't bother to sterilize the probes anymore.

I didn't think this was right, but didn't say anything at the time. However I just got a link to an interesting article about ExoMars where they explain how the sterilisation regime affects their design process:

http://www.theengineer.co.uk/in-depth/interviews/qa-with-spacecraft-engineer-abbie-hutty/1018545.article?cmpid=tenews_278877

[Moon Goddess]

If you notice the time of my last edit (before your post) I already deleted my fool statement about altering them (need sleep). Altering them wouldn't make any sense if we wanted to find true results. And there's that mindset "where such and such should stay" that makes me cringe. Most of the significant findings would have never been discovered if scientists had such closed minds.

I know this is WAY back in your thread but you hit upon the answer to the question way back in your post.

You're talking about altering the microbes wouldn't give you true results. But at the same time you're missing that your experiment is talking about altering mars or Europa thus you'll never again get true results about those bodies. It's not a naturalistic thing about "keeping things where it belongs" it's about contamination harming other studies. You found the problem yourself you just didn't look wide enough.

[maccollo]

I didn't think this was right, but didn't say anything at the time.

ExoMars is intended to actually search for life, "past and present". It's going to drill 2 meters into the surface. This means it could poke it's drill into an environment that is currently habitable, so it does have to be sterilized to avoid a potential runaway contamination.

McKay does address this in the presentation at 5:00.

Edited May 13, 2014 by maccollo

[Seret]

McKay does address this in the presentation at 5:00.

Ah, my apologies. My work network strips out YouTube videos so I didn't see you'd attached one. I'll have to take a look at it.

[iDan122]

Why send organisms from Earth to a place where there is a chance to find microbial life? So we can find life and never be sure if we found the ones we brought or the ones that were there already? We want be ale to tell the difference, which is why most landers are sterilized.