random inputMar 3
AkaSci 🛰️

Tardigrades, the toughest animals in the Universe, failed to survive in simulated Martian regolith (surface material).

Researchers tested tardigrades with exposure to martian regolith simulants; their health and activity declined substantially over 4 days. Curiously, they did much better when the regolith was washed, leaching away some of the salts and other chemical compounds.

Testing on plants, animals and humans TBD.

https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/international-journal-of-astrobiology/article/shortterm-survival-of-tardigrades-ramazzottius-cf-varieornatus-and-hypsibius-exemplaris-in-martian-regolith-simulants-mgs1-and-oucm1/8A91986096FB533FB264DD056F549DF2#article
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Mar 3 at 12:09pmWeb
Show threadAkaSci 🛰️Mar 3

Video from Penn State of the tardigrades used in the study and their reaction to simulated Martian regolith.

1st clip: a tardigrade on its first day in OUCM-1 (culture medium), moving normally.

2nd clip: 2 days after exposure to the simulant, the tardigrade’s movement became sluggish

3rd clip: normal tardigrade activity in washed regolith.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kub3qcTGElU
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Tardiguardians of the Galaxy

YouTube
Show threadWesDymMar 3

@AkaSci Yeah, that was a detail learned after that book and film came out. We probably cannot grow terrestrial plants in Martian soil, because it's toxic. Which isn't that surprising, given what we believe we know about the planet's history. You can't grow stuff in our own halite, either. When Mars lost most of its water, the precipitates stayed behind.

Realistically, we can't ever wash enough Martian soil to live there. More to the point, well, there'd be no real point in it.

Show threadWesDymMar 3
@AkaSci In fact, it probably does not even meet the definition of 'soil' to begin with, because of extremely low or zero water content, and zero biomass. It's regolith, like what's on the moon or dusty asteroids. At best, it's a mechanical substrate with some useful minerals that we MIGHT be able to get started with enough effort. But again, that effort would be pointless. Mars would need enormous, constant external supply, and that cannot be justified, either financially or ecologically.