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Re: Martian Contamination

>On April 20, 1967, Surveyor III landed on the Moon.  On November  20, 1969,
> Apollo 12 landed 300 feet away from it.  The crew of Apollo 12 removed the
> camera from Surveyor III and placed it in a sterile bag for return to 
> Earth.
> Upon return to Earth it was discovered that the camera was contaminated 
> with aspecies of Streptococcus mitis bacteria.  These "earthlings" had
survived 
> fortwo and a half years in a vacuum with temperatures ranging from 101 to -
> 181 degrees Celsius.  In addition the bacteria was exposed to cosmic ray
> bombardment.

Hello List,

I have difficulty believing that bacteria could have survived on any part of
the Surveyor under lunar conditions.  My vote would be toward contanmination.
I read somewhere (not People magazine and some other such) that one of the
returning Apollo crews (11, 12 or 14) complained that the LRL was supposed to
be airtight and completely quarantined but they noticed a line of ants
marching in and out from a crack in the wall of the trailer, trying to get the
astronauts food.  I spent the better part of an hour today trying find the
reference but cannot locate it.  Seems they weren't too careful in those days.

-Walter  

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