4.1. Are Earth-based #microbes alive on the surface of #Mars🔴 today ?
With the bioburden estimates, millions of viable spore-forming organisms 🦠 would still be present on the protected external and internal components of the #robotic landers. The landers likely landed on the surface with an appreciable bioburden. Microbes are most likely to survive underneath a layer of regolith. The survivability of Earth-based microbes may far extend 25 Mars years ⏳
February 11 2026 https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.3847/PSJ/ae38b4
