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Fungal strains in space spark worry - we might have already contaminated --

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  Fungal strains in space spark worry - we might have already contaminated -- a425couple <a425couple@hotmail.com> - 2026-05-07 08:53 -0700
    Re: Fungal strains in space spark worry - we might have already contaminated -- "Jim Wilkins" <muratlanne@gmail.com> - 2026-05-07 13:47 -0400
      Re: Fungal strains in space spark worry - we might have already contaminated -- Kualinar <kuakinar@videotron.ca> - 2026-05-07 18:11 -0400
    Re: Fungal strains in space spark worry - we might have already contaminated -- Daniel <me@sc1f1dan.com> - 2026-05-08 03:04 -0700
      Re: Fungal strains in space spark worry - we might have already contaminated -- "Jim Wilkins" <muratlanne@gmail.com> - 2026-05-08 08:53 -0400
        Re: Fungal strains in space spark worry - we might have already contaminated -- "Jim Wilkins" <muratlanne@gmail.com> - 2026-05-08 10:58 -0400
          Re: Fungal strains in space spark worry - we might have already contaminated -- Kualinar <kuakinar@videotron.ca> - 2026-05-08 12:31 -0400
            Re: Fungal strains in space spark worry - we might have already contaminated -- "Jim Wilkins" <muratlanne@gmail.com> - 2026-05-08 13:17 -0400
              Re: Fungal strains in space spark worry - we might have already contaminated -- "Jim Wilkins" <muratlanne@gmail.com> - 2026-05-09 12:42 -0400
            Re: Fungal strains in space spark worry - we might have already contaminated -- a425couple <a425couple@hotmail.com> - 2026-05-09 13:53 -0700
              Re: Fungal strains in space spark worry - we might have already contaminated -- "Jim Wilkins" <muratlanne@gmail.com> - 2026-05-09 19:07 -0400
              Re: Fungal strains in space spark worry - we might have already contaminated -- "Jim Wilkins" <muratlanne@gmail.com> - 2026-05-09 20:32 -0400
                Re: Fungal strains in space spark worry - we might have already contaminated -- "Jim Wilkins" <muratlanne@gmail.com> - 2026-05-10 08:11 -0400

#313507 — Fungal strains in space spark worry - we might have already contaminated --

from
https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/fungal-strains-space-spark-worry-112456504.html

Fungal strains in space spark worry
Tom Chivers
Thu, May 7, 2026 at 4:24 AM PDT
1 min read
Add Yahoo as a preferred source to see more of our stories on Google.
Add Yahoo on Google

NASA found fungal strains that survive even its most stringent 
sterilization efforts, suggesting Earth microbes may already be living 
on Mars.

When exploring worlds which could plausibly harbor life — Enceladus, 
Europa, Mars, Titan — space agencies employ protocols to prevent 
Earth-based microbes contaminating any biology elsewhere.

The existence of near-unkillable fungi makes future Mars rover missions 
more fraught and past ones potential seeds of terrestrial life on the 
red planet. Titan may likewise be compromised: When visited by the 
Cassini-Huygens orbiter in 2004, no one realized Saturn’s moon had 
liquid oceans and was thus a promising candidate for life, so the probe 
was not fully sterilized. The little spacecraft “might be seeding life,” 
a mission scientist told Flagship’s Tom in 2017.

— Tom Chivers
View comments(20)


Fred
3 hrs
We polluted Earth and now have expanded our efforts to the outer 
planets. No wonder we lost Paradise.

Homer10
27 mins
It's all about the money.

ChanTheMan
2 hrs
Humans act exactly like a cancer to this planet.


John
4 hrs
How much have we wasted to learn there is fungi on mars?

J
Joe
2 hrs
We sent life to Mars despite our best efforts.


Robert
2 hrs

"microbes MAY already be living on Mars."

Click bait. Nothing is living on Mars.

Like
Reply
Share

1 reply

C


Charlie Cocaroo

3 hrs

Less than we have on claiming there are 150 genders

Like
👍
👎

5
Reply
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1 reply

M


Mark

2 hrs

Black fungus on earth is still a huge problem, and it keeps spreading.

Like
👎
👍

2
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avatar

ChanTheMan

2 hrs

Apparently there's no shortage ofIMbeciles, like you either (edited)

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2
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D


David

4 hrs

We might find out if there is life there by visiting the local pub in 
the place and seeing what is there. Most places with life have a pub and 
a good selection of life is usually found at the pub.

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👍

2
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H


Homer10

28 mins

How about Tardegrades (water bears)? They survive just about anything, 
and they are multicellular animals.
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Space

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Should Saturn's huge moon Titan be humanity's next destination, after 
the moon and Mars?
Leonard David
Thu, May 7, 2026 at 3:00 AM PDT
5 min read
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3

Key takeawaysPowered by Yahoo Scout. Yahoo is using AI to generate key 
points from this article. This means the info may not always match 
what’s in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience.
The inaugural "Humans to Titan Summit" will outline the science goals 
and concepts of human missions to Titan, including necessary precursor 
robotic missions.
See more
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication 
partners may earn a commission.

After "re-booting" the moon and establishing a base there, followed by 
dispatching expeditionary crews to Mars, where should humanity go?

Next month, a first-of-its-kind gathering will blueprint an eventual 
crewed trek to tantalizing Titan, the largest of Saturn's many moons. 
That inaugural "Humans to Titan Summit" will make the case for an 
astronaut outing to that far-off moon, detailing the science goals and 
concepts of human missions to Titan as well as necessary forerunner 
robotic efforts.

And there is already a robotic Titan mission on the books — NASA's 
nuclear-powered Dragonfly octocopter mission, which is targeted to 
launch in 2028. Could it help fuel a human leap?

A NASA image of Saturn's moon, Titan It looks like a turquoise marble in 
space.
A NASA image of Saturn's largest moon, Titan. | Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech
Foundational talks
"It's not too soon to begin thinking about this," said Amanda Hendrix, 
director of the Planetary Science Institute, headquartered in Tucson, 
Arizona. She is also president of the advocacy group Explore Titan and 
co-author of "Beyond Earth: Our Path to a New Home in the Planets" 
(Pantheon Books, 2016).

"The idea of the summit is to bring together people from different 
communities — engineers, scientists, industry, academia, robotic and 
human spaceflight experts," Hendrix told Space.com. "We're having 
foundational talks about what precursor missions do we need in order to 
get us on the road to Titan, eventually with humans."

Hendrix noted that, after Apollo's last human foray to the moon in 1972, 
there was a gap of decades, a lull in launching astronauts beyond Earth 
orbit — a pause just filled by NASA's recent Artemis 2 mission, which 
sent four astronauts around the moon and back to Earth.

"Now we are, hopefully, back on track [with] humans going to the moon, 
with NASA talking about Mars as the next human destination," said 
Hendrix. "I think having a concept in our mind after Mars can guide our 
thinking, give us a path and keep us motivated for the future."

Visits, past and future
The Saturn moon has had visitors already. On Jan. 14, 2005, the European 
Space Agency's robotic Huygens probe — part of the NASA-ESA 
Cassini-Huygens mission to Saturn — touched down on Titan.

Making a 2.5-hour descent through Titan's atmosphere, the Huygens probe 
provided a stream of data for 72 minutes once on the moon's surface. It 
set the still-standing record as the most distant landing from Earth.

"Huygens showed us many things," Hendrix said. She cited the dynamics of 
Titan's atmosphere, the look of its surface — which features water-ice 
"rocks," dry river beds, lakes and dunes — as well as the overall 
haziness at the landing locale.

"It does look otherworldly," Hendrix said.

Next up for Titan is Dragonfly, now scheduled to launch no earlier than 
2028 for a six-year voyage to Titan. Once landed, the craft will spend 
three years flying from spot to spot to investigate a range of sites, 
perhaps revealing its potential to host life.

view of brownish mountains on an alien world, taken from the sky by a 
descent probe
A set of images taken by Europe’s Huygens probe during its landing on 
Titan in January 2005, showing the view from an altitude of 1.2 miles (2 
kilometers). It is in Mercator projection, so the N-S/E-W directions 
cross at right angles but surface areas appear distorted. | Credit: 
ESA/NASA/JPL/University of Arizona
More
A dynamic world
"Dragonfly is an awesome, super-important mission to a fascinating and 
active world," said Hendrix. "Titan is not a static place. It is a 
dynamic world," she said, "probably a place that's very close to an 
early-Earth kind of environment."

Dragonfly will give us a leg up in the effort to send humans to Titan, 
Hendrix said, "but there's still a lot to do and learn."

"Ultimately, we're trying to get humans on the surface and living there. 
I think that's doable in the long-term, for sure," she said. A precursor 
mission might involve robotic orbiting of Titan — perhaps even a human 
crew circuiting the Saturn moon. Radar and infrared scanning of its 
surface could be done, she said, along with gauging what impact Titan's 
changing seasons have on the moon's atmosphere.

"A lot can be done, and should be done, robotically. But with humans on 
the surface, there's work only humans can do," Hendrix said.

Surmountable issues
So, how best to strut the right stuff on Titan?

First, there's more atmospheric pressure than here on Earth. "You don't 
need a pressure suit like you do on the moon or Mars. What you do need 
to do is keep warm. It's very cold there. There's also a little more 
gravity than the Earth's moon," said Hendrix.

Because of Titan's atmosphere, "you can strap wings to your arms and 
move through the atmosphere under your own power, or strap on a jet pack 
and power yourself around. You've got that atmosphere and low gravity. 
There are many options for transport on Titan, which Dragonfly is taking 
advantage of," Hendrix said.

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Also, you'd have to make your own oxygen, Hendrix said, which is not 
available in Titan's thick, nitrogen atmosphere laced with methane. A 
Titan-based habitat would need a power source. And, given the 
precipitation of molecules and gunk that rains down and settles on the 
surface, there's a need to protect equipment, she said.

"This is all surmountable," said Hendrix, saying that Dragonfly and 
other precursor missions could yield information useful for human visits 
to Titan.

The Humans to Titan Summit 2026 is being held June 11-12 in Boulder, 
Colorado. The goal is "to explore the concept of Titan as the next human 
exploration destination after Mars, how it could be done and what we 
would need to do now," according to the event's website.

"We want the workshop to invigorate the community to think about what we 
need to do and what the possibilities are … to plant the seed that this 
is a real possibility," Hendrix concluded.

View comments(3)





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#313508

"a425couple"  wrote in message news:Yz2LR.867599$DN1.339445@fx48.iad...

NASA found fungal strains that survive even its most stringent
sterilization efforts, suggesting Earth microbes may already be living
on Mars.

---------------------------------
NASA has to balance sterilization conditions with survival of the delicate 
instruments. The more effective chemicals like ozone and chlorine dioxide 
are corrosive. They sterilize at 125C, the top of the military range, which 
is above boiling and at or slightly above pressure cooking temperature. 80C 
is usually assumed to sterilize food, usually 65C is considered adequate.

125C is the high end of the heat tolerance for electronics. Some simpler 
parts can handle 150C. I've worked in the testing field and have made a 
transistor fail in a few minutes by operating it at 180C. High temperature 
shortens component life and is used to estimate and test long predicted 
lifetimes, but heat stressing the parts you intend to use can degrade them, 
so it's done on small representative batches of a production run.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Accelerated_life_testing

Autoclaves that sterilize medical instruments operate between 121C and 135C.
https://tuttnauer.com/knowledge-center/sterile-processing/autoclave/autoclave-temperature-range-for-effective-sterilization

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operating_temperature

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#313509

Le 2026-05-07 à 13:47, Jim Wilkins a écrit :
> "a425couple"  wrote in message news:Yz2LR.867599$DN1.339445@fx48.iad...
> 
> NASA found fungal strains that survive even its most stringent
> sterilization efforts, suggesting Earth microbes may already be living
> on Mars.
> 
> ---------------------------------
> NASA has to balance sterilization conditions with survival of the 
> delicate instruments. The more effective chemicals like ozone and 
> chlorine dioxide are corrosive. They sterilize at 125C, the top of the 
> military range, which is above boiling and at or slightly above pressure 
> cooking temperature. 80C is usually assumed to sterilize food, usually 
> 65C is considered adequate.
> 
> 125C is the high end of the heat tolerance for electronics. Some simpler 
> parts can handle 150C. I've worked in the testing field and have made a 
> transistor fail in a few minutes by operating it at 180C. High 
> temperature shortens component life and is used to estimate and test 
> long predicted lifetimes, but heat stressing the parts you intend to use 
> can degrade them, so it's done on small representative batches of a 
> production run.
> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Accelerated_life_testing
> 
> Autoclaves that sterilize medical instruments operate between 121C and 
> 135C.
> https://tuttnauer.com/knowledge-center/sterile-processing/autoclave/ 
> autoclave-temperature-range-for-effective-sterilization
> 
> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operating_temperature
> 

A fine balance must be made between total sterilization and survival of 
the instrument.
No point sterilizing the probe when doing so also destroys it.

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#313510

a425couple <a425couple@hotmail.com> writes:

> from
> https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/fungal-strains-space-spark-worry-112456504.html
>
> Fungal strains in space spark worry
> Tom Chivers
> Thu, May 7, 2026 at 4:24 AM PDT
> 1 min read
> Add Yahoo as a preferred source to see more of our stories on Google.
> Add Yahoo on Google
>
> NASA found fungal strains that survive even its most stringent
> sterilization efforts, suggesting Earth microbes may already be living
> on Mars.
>
> When exploring worlds which could plausibly harbor life — Enceladus,
> Europa, Mars, Titan — space agencies employ protocols to prevent
> Earth-based microbes contaminating any biology elsewhere.
>
> The existence of near-unkillable fungi makes future Mars rover
> missions more fraught and past ones potential seeds of terrestrial
> life on the red planet. Titan may likewise be compromised: When
> visited by the Cassini-Huygens orbiter in 2004, no one realized
> Saturn’s moon had liquid oceans and was thus a promising candidate for
> life, so the probe was not fully sterilized. The little spacecraft
> “might be seeding life,” a mission scientist told Flagship’s Tom in
> 2017.

/snip

Clickbait.

NASA now fears that there are frozen microbes of fungi on our
probes. I'm going to shit myself in fear. I swear clickbait articles are
getting worse by the day.

--
Daniel
sysop  | air & wave bbs
finger | calcmandan@bbs.erb.pw

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#313511

"Daniel"  wrote in message news:87ldduw72i.fsf@rpi3...

Clickbait.

NASA now fears that there are frozen microbes of fungi on our
probes. I'm going to shit myself in fear. I swear clickbait articles are
getting worse by the day.

--
Daniel
sysop  | air & wave bbs
finger | calcmandan@bbs.erb.pw
--------------------------------

This is significant because it also affects how returned samples must be 
treated and handled. Testing for unknown life forms without unknowingly 
releasing them is a risk. We don't have a perfect record with Earth's 
microbes, Covid-19 for example.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1967_Marburg_virus_disease_outbreak

https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/the-kansas-underground-salt-museum-hutchinson-kansas
Mars could harbor similar ancient somethings that we don't initially 
recognize as alive until one or more finds favorable conditions and begins 
to grow and reproduce.

Viruses and plasmids are examples, they are incomplete forms that remain 
inert and apparently lifeless until they enter a living cell.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plasmid
"Plasmids are considered replicons, units of DNA capable of replicating 
autonomously within a suitable host. However, plasmids, like viruses, are 
not generally classified as life."

Their existence approximates an attractive and communicable but toxic idea, 
such as gambling, drugs or communism.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Screwfly_Solution

We have no way to remotely analyze an unknown substance to the molecular 
level. We might have to dissolve or incinerate all the equipment used to 
examine alien samples.

DIY Frankensteins:
"Synthetic plasmids are available for procurement over the internet by 
various vendors using submitted sequences typically designed with software, 
if a design does not work the vendor may make additional edits from the 
submission."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nanorobotics
Biology provides the critical machine element of rotating shafts and motors.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flagellum
"A shaft runs between the hook and the basal body, passing through protein 
rings in the cell's membrane that act as bearings."

A hostile entity with AI access could covertly subvert or destroy that way 
if we aren't careful. Already our critical infrastructure of energy and 
health care is being hacked.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_White_Plague
The cost estimate omits the availability of cheap second-hand lab 
instruments. I've been offered an electron microscope minus the vacuum pump 
for $200.

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#313512

"Jim Wilkins"  wrote in message news:10tkmb5$2sooi$1@dont-email.me...

> This is significant because it also affects how returned samples must be 
> treated and handled.

In brief, we can't sterilize a sample that cost billions until we learn that 
we must.

Have we already been infected and developed immunity?
https://www.space.com/mars-meteorites-on-earth-mystery
"Meteorites from a variety of sources have been discovered across Earth's 
surface for thousands of years, but Mars wasn't suggested as a possible 
source of this bombardment until the 1970s when measurements of the Martian 
atmosphere made by NASA's Viking orbiters were found to match gases locked 
in these space rocks."

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#313513

Le 2026-05-08 à 10:58, Jim Wilkins a écrit :
> "Jim Wilkins"  wrote in message news:10tkmb5$2sooi$1@dont-email.me...
> 
>> This is significant because it also affects how returned samples must 
>> be treated and handled.
> 
> In brief, we can't sterilize a sample that cost billions until we learn 
> that we must.
> 
> Have we already been infected and developed immunity?
> https://www.space.com/mars-meteorites-on-earth-mystery
> "Meteorites from a variety of sources have been discovered across 
> Earth's surface for thousands of years, but Mars wasn't suggested as a 
> possible source of this bombardment until the 1970s when measurements of 
> the Martian atmosphere made by NASA's Viking orbiters were found to 
> match gases locked in these space rocks."
> 
And, we can assume that rocks from the Earth made their way to Mars, as 
well as Jovian moons.

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#313514

"Kualinar"  wrote in message news:10tl357$310tl$1@dont-email.me...

Le 2026-05-08 à 10:58, Jim Wilkins a écrit :
> "Jim Wilkins"  wrote in message news:10tkmb5$2sooi$1@dont-email.me...
>
>> This is significant because it also affects how returned samples must be 
>> treated and handled.
>
> In brief, we can't sterilize a sample that cost billions until we learn 
> that we must.
>
> Have we already been infected and developed immunity?
> https://www.space.com/mars-meteorites-on-earth-mystery
> "Meteorites from a variety of sources have been discovered across Earth's 
> surface for thousands of years, but Mars wasn't suggested as a possible 
> source of this bombardment until the 1970s when measurements of the 
> Martian atmosphere made by NASA's Viking orbiters were found to match 
> gases locked in these space rocks."
>
And, we can assume that rocks from the Earth made their way to Mars, as
well as Jovian moons.

----------------------

While that may be possible Earth's thick atmosphere absorbed most of Artemis 
II's Mach 33 velocity. There is no evidence of any meteorites from Venus 
which also has a dense and distinctive atmosphere.

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#313515

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Extremophile

"The same month, scientists reported that bacteria from Earth, particularly 
Deinococcus radiodurans, were found to survive for three years in outer 
space, based on studies on the International Space Station. These findings 
support the notion of panspermia." 

[toc] | [prev] | [next] | [standalone]

#313516

On 5/8/26 09:31, Kualinar wrote:
> Le 2026-05-08 à 10:58, Jim Wilkins a écrit :
>> "Jim Wilkins"  wrote in message news:10tkmb5$2sooi$1@dont-email.me...
>>
>>> This is significant because it also affects how returned samples must 
>>> be treated and handled.
>>
>> In brief, we can't sterilize a sample that cost billions until we 
>> learn that we must.
>>
>> Have we already been infected and developed immunity?
>> https://www.space.com/mars-meteorites-on-earth-mystery
>> "Meteorites from a variety of sources have been discovered across 
>> Earth's surface for thousands of years, but Mars wasn't suggested as a 
>> possible source of this bombardment until the 1970s when measurements 
>> of the Martian atmosphere made by NASA's Viking orbiters were found to 
>> match gases locked in these space rocks."
>>
> And, we can assume that rocks from the Earth made their way to Mars, as 
> well as Jovian moons.

I had some doubts because of our now thick atmosphere,
BUT, I'm reading   --
(What can go  11,200 m/s (or about 25,000 mph) without
burning up?)
to break free from Earth's gravity and reach the moon,

AI
Yes, rocks from Earth have almost certainly traveled to Mars, just as 
Martian rocks frequently travel to Earth. Massive asteroid impacts on 
Earth over the last 3.5 billion years have likely launched thousands of 
pieces of debris into space, with some inevitably landing on Mars.Impact 
Transfers: Violent impacts on Earth, such as the one that wiped out the 
dinosaurs, have enough energy to send rocks into interplanetary space, 
with some making their way to Mars and the moons of Jupiter.
Likely Habitable Conditions: Many of these rocks, known as meteorites, 
could have potentially carried microbial life between planets, a concept 
known as [lithopanspermia].Mars to Earth: While we haven't confirmed an 
Earth rock on Mars yet, we have over [275 confirmed Martian meteorites 
on Earth].Scientific Consensus: Experts find that, throughout solar 
system history, "rock capable of carrying life has likely transferred 
from both Earth and Mars to all of the terrestrial planets".

Astronomy Stack Exchange
https://astronomy.stackexchange.com
Are there Earth rocks on Mars? - Astronomy Stack Exchange
May 29, 2020 — Said the paper's lead author Rachel Worth: “We find that 
rock capable of carrying life has likely transferred from both Earth and ...
Reddit·r/asksciencehttps://www.reddit.com
Martian meteorites are found on Earth, is the converse also true?
Jan 4, 2013 — Comments Section. rocketsocks. • 14y ago • Edited 14y ago. 
Almost certainly. However,

Reddit·r/asksciencehttps://www.reddit.com
Are there cases of rocks from Earth finding their way to Mars? - 
RedditJul 20, 2021 — Would it be easier to go after near Earth asteroids 
and hope they were originally from Earth? ... Would anything from Earth 
even s...Show all

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#313517

"a425couple"  wrote in message news:O8NLR.390599$njxf.325713@fx34.iad...

On 5/8/26 09:31, Kualinar wrote:
> Le 2026-05-08 à 10:58, Jim Wilkins a écrit :
>> "Jim Wilkins"  wrote in message news:10tkmb5$2sooi$1@dont-email.me...
>>
>>> This is significant because it also affects how returned samples must be 
>>> treated and handled.
>>
>> In brief, we can't sterilize a sample that cost billions until we learn 
>> that we must.
>>
>> Have we already been infected and developed immunity?
>> https://www.space.com/mars-meteorites-on-earth-mystery
>> "Meteorites from a variety of sources have been discovered across Earth's 
>> surface for thousands of years, but Mars wasn't suggested as a possible 
>> source of this bombardment until the 1970s when measurements of the 
>> Martian atmosphere made by NASA's Viking orbiters were found to match 
>> gases locked in these space rocks."
>>
> And, we can assume that rocks from the Earth made their way to Mars, as 
> well as Jovian moons.

I had some doubts because of our now thick atmosphere,
BUT, I'm reading   --
(What can go  11,200 m/s (or about 25,000 mph) without
burning up?)
to break free from Earth's gravity and reach the moon,

AI
Yes, rocks from Earth have almost certainly traveled to Mars, just as
Martian rocks frequently travel to Earth. Massive asteroid impacts on
Earth over the last 3.5 billion years have likely launched thousands of
pieces of debris into space, with some inevitably landing on Mars.Impact
Transfers: Violent impacts on Earth, such as the one that wiped out the
dinosaurs, have enough energy to send rocks into interplanetary space,
with some making their way to Mars and the moons of Jupiter.
Likely Habitable Conditions: Many of these rocks, known as meteorites,
could have potentially carried microbial life between planets, a concept
known as [lithopanspermia].Mars to Earth: While we haven't confirmed an
Earth rock on Mars yet, we have over [275 confirmed Martian meteorites
on Earth].Scientific Consensus: Experts find that, throughout solar
system history, "rock capable of carrying life has likely transferred
from both Earth and Mars to all of the terrestrial planets".

Astronomy Stack Exchange
https://astronomy.stackexchange.com
Are there Earth rocks on Mars? - Astronomy Stack Exchange
May 29, 2020 — Said the paper's lead author Rachel Worth: “We find that
rock capable of carrying life has likely transferred from both Earth and ...
Reddit·r/asksciencehttps://www.reddit.com
Martian meteorites are found on Earth, is the converse also true?
Jan 4, 2013 — Comments Section. rocketsocks. • 14y ago • Edited 14y ago.
Almost certainly. However,

Reddit·r/asksciencehttps://www.reddit.com
Are there cases of rocks from Earth finding their way to Mars? -
RedditJul 20, 2021 — Would it be easier to go after near Earth asteroids
and hope they were originally from Earth? ... Would anything from Earth
even s...Show all

---------------------------------
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_gun

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#313518

"a425couple"  wrote in message news:O8NLR.390599$njxf.325713@fx34.iad...

On 5/8/26 09:31, Kualinar wrote:
> Le 2026-05-08 à 10:58, Jim Wilkins a écrit :
>> "Jim Wilkins"  wrote in message news:10tkmb5$2sooi$1@dont-email.me...
>>
I had some doubts because of our now thick atmosphere,
BUT, I'm reading   --
(What can go  11,200 m/s (or about 25,000 mph) without
burning up?)
to break free from Earth's gravity and reach the moon,
------------------------

Rockets start off slowly and gain most of their velocity at low to near-zero 
drag altitude (there's measurable drag on the ISS). At only a minute or so 
into the flight the engines are throttled down to limit increasing air 
resistance until reaching higher thinner air, this is the "throttling down 
for Max q" announcement.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Max_q

This Moon origin theory posits that a giant impact threw massive debris into 
orbit, mainly from Earth's outer layers rather than the iron core. The Moon 
is only 60% as dense as Earth, not a smaller copy from the same ingredients.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Origin_of_the_Moon

The larger and heavier the ejected object, the less the air will slow it. 
Drag increases as the square of size, inertia as the cube. That may mean 
that only very large rocks from very massive impacts made it through the air 
with enough remaining velocity to escape Earth gravity and rise to Martian 
orbit. Fortunately we don't know from experience how massive that impact 
might have been. The Space Gun I referenced can reach orbital height but not 
nearly the velocity needed to stay there.

Analysis of returned samples with a mass spectrometer might suggest Earth 
origin if Mars minerals have a significantly different isotopic distribution 
(it varies here too).

Mars offers far less air resistance and a downward falling trajectory to 
Earth, so the trip is easier. It's significant that we haven't traced any 
meteorites to Venus.

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#313519

"Jim Wilkins"  wrote in message news:10tojl9$1ilj$1@dont-email.me...

...Fortunately we don't know from experience how massive that impact
might have been. The Space Gun I referenced can reach orbital height but not
nearly the velocity needed to stay there.
---------------------------

This is the laboratory gun used to simulate lower energy meteorite impacts. 
It can't approach the velocity or energy of known historical impacts.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Light-gas_gun
"Projectile velocities can reach 4.5 kilometres per second (16,000 km/h) for 
the 8.0-inch (200 mm) configuration and 7 kilometres per second (25,000 
km/h) for the 3.3-inch (84 mm) launcher configuration."

Minimum low circular orbit velocity is a little below 8km/S, meteors in 
solar orbits can go 2-3 or more times as fast, 3I/Atlas from deep space 
exceeded 60km/S. Anything with more than solar escape velocity must have 
come from elsewhere.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Escape_velocity
"If an object is in a circular or elliptical orbit, its speed is always less 
than the escape speed at its current distance. In contrast if it is on a 
hyperbolic trajectory its speed will always be higher than the escape speed 
at its current distance."

Earth escape velocity is 11.2km/S. To reach Mars a rock would have to still 
be going faster after leaving the atmosphere. Another 4km/S might get it to 
Mars though a lucky lunar gravity slingshot boost could be enough.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gravity_assist

Going down to find help going up:
https://science.nasa.gov/resource/cassini-trajectory/

https://trajbrowser.arc.nasa.gov/traj_browser.php

That's enough time wasted on rocket science in a reasonably short posting. 
My college Physics course covered orbital mechanics only lightly and my 
attempt at computer modeling was unsatisfactory. A friend handled the 
orbital analysis of newly launched Soviet spacecraft while I was more 
concerned with how a space probe's scientific instruments operate, and did 
design and build a lab model of a proposed one.

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