Discussion
Those who design these probes do take all this into account and make great efforts to ensure craft are sterile before being launched into space. Of course, no one can be 100% certain that every single earth organism has been eliminated.
They also do their best to ensure that sensitive worlds, such as Enceladus, Europa and Titan are especially protected.
They also do their best to ensure that sensitive worlds, such as Enceladus, Europa and Titan are especially protected.
bony_13 said:
Genuine questions re contamination from a non-scientist.
Are the probes not exposed to over 100c whey they break through the atmosphere? (I know they are in an insulated payload of some kind but still imagined there to be a lot of heat involved).
Also, wouldn't the prolonged low temperatures and lack of atmosphere in space remove the change of even mirco-organisms surviving?
Sorry for if they are silly questions.
Firstly, the probes are manufactured and assembled in ultra "white room" conditions to keep them as uncontaminated as possibleAre the probes not exposed to over 100c whey they break through the atmosphere? (I know they are in an insulated payload of some kind but still imagined there to be a lot of heat involved).
Also, wouldn't the prolonged low temperatures and lack of atmosphere in space remove the change of even mirco-organisms surviving?
Sorry for if they are silly questions.
Secondly they are put through a sterilisation process before being mounted on top of the rocket
During launch they are protected within an aerodynamic shroud which should protect them from the forces and temperatures of launch. By the time they are travelling fast enough for any frictional heating to be generated, the vast bulk of the atmosphere is already below them, so aerodynamic heating on the way up is not that great.
Once in space and in transit to its destination, the probe will be exposed - sometimes for years - to the extreme heat and cold of deep space, plus radiation from the sun and intergalactic space - which is a very good sterilising set of conditions.
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