Life on Mars could reach Earth by riding asteroid impact debris, new study suggests

image via New Scientist

March 5, 2026, 7:45 PM

• •Deinococcus radiodurans can withstand extreme pressures from simulated asteroid impacts.
• •The microbe's resilience supports the idea of lithopanspermia.
• •The study impacts understanding of the origins of life and the search for it elsewhere.
• •The JAXA MMX mission's sample collection from Phobos may need enhanced protection protocols.

Researchers at Johns Hopkins University have found that Deinococcus radiodurans, also known as "Conan the Bacterium," can survive extreme pressures similar to those of asteroid impacts on Mars, and can repair its damaged DNA. This discovery bolsters the theory of lithopanspermia, suggesting life could spread throughout the solar system via ejected debris. The findings have implications for understanding the origins of life and the search for extraterrestrial life, especially concerning the upcoming JAXA MMX mission to collect samples from Mars' moon Phobos, which may require a higher level of planetary protection.

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