Eli5: If creatures such as tardigrades can survive in extreme conditions such as the vacuum of space and deep under water, how can astronauts and other space flight companies be confident in their means of decontamination after missions and returning to earth?

Question

My initial post was related to more of bacteria or organisms on space suits or moon walks and then flown back to earth in the comfort of a shuttle.

In: Biology

Answer 1

Let’s say a bunch of space bacteria *does* make it down to Earth and lands in a nice fertile bog or something.

It’s going to have absolutely no resistance to the natural antibiotics of the first fungus that shows up. Failing that, it’s going to have no defense against the first virus that decides to move in. And god help this bacteria if it somehow gets into something with an immune system, having no way to hide and no survival strategy.

Simple life used to barely hanging on in some lifeless world is going to have no chance here.

Generally, the more prevalent life is somewhere, the meaner it is. We’re actually way more worried about the reverse happening, some Earth bacteria getting into Martian water on a probe and devastating whatever shred of biodiversity is there.