--- title: "Mars Rock Samples Probably Won’t Infect Earth With Deadly Martian Plague, Scientist Says" description: "If you're worried about NASA's plan to bring Mars rocks back to Earth to study them, you probably don't need to be, scientists say." date: "2022-07-06" modified: "2022-07-06" authors: - name: "Noor Al-Sibai" job_title: "Senior Staff Writer" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/nooralsibai" url: "https://futurism.com/mars-samples-earth" categories: - "Astronomy" - "Mars" - "Space" tags: - "ESA" - "european space agency" - "mars" - "mars rocks" - "mars samples" - "meteorites" - "NASA" - "space rocks" --- # Mars Rock Samples Probably Won’t Infect Earth With Deadly Martian Plague, Scientist Says ![If you're worried about NASA's plan to bring Mars rocks back to Earth to study them, you probably don't need to be, scientists say.]() *\Image: NASA\* If you're [worried about NASA's plan]() to bring Mars rocks back to Earth to study them, you probably don't need to be. In interviews [with *The Philadelphia Inquirer*](), scientists maintained that there's very little risk **i**nvolved in bringing samples from Mars back home. As Rutgers' Nathan Yee, a former NASA official who teaches astrobiology, reminded the *Inquirer*, Mars rocks have already fallen to Earth in the form of meteorites "without any adverse effects to our biosphere." Yee noted that because Mars' current atmosphere is very inhospitable to life as we know it — not to mention that it lacks a magnetic field to deflect solar radiation, and is therefore bombarded constantly with harsh rays — it would be hard enough for life to survive on the red planet, much less make it alive to Earth. "There has to be a long, long time of evolution for microbes to learn how to interact and attach onto animal cells, enter animal cells, and use the machinery of an animal cell to replicate," he told the newspaper. "That’s a very complex choreographed dance." NASA itself has repeatedly reiterated that the Mars Sample Return Mission, which it's undertaking in tandem with the European Space Agency, [is safe]() and that there is a "low likelihood of risk" given Mars' arid, UV-blasted climate. Nevertheless, at least one ex-government official is hellbent on highlighting what he considers the safety concerns of the mission. "We won’t know if it’s sterile or not," retired Federal Aviation Administration and Mars aficionado Thomas Dehel told the *Inquirer* of the samples. "We should know if we bring something back to Earth whether it’s sterile or not, to do some sort of crude test up front to see if there’s any kind of biological life." Dehel, who [runs a blog criticizing NASA]() and some news outlets for purportedly "covering up" Mars sample safety concerns, posited that a good way to figure out whether the rock samples contain lethal or dangerous pathogens would be to test them remotely on the International Space Station. NASA, however, shot down that concept because, as the agency told the newspaper, the ISS doesn't have equipment sensitive enough to glean all necessary info from the Martian rock samples. While Rutgers' Yee is not himself concerned about some sort of deadly pathogen from Mars running rampant from space rocks brought to Earth, he is curious to see what NASA will do if, as he told the *Inquirer*, the samples turn up "remnants of past life." On our end, we'll definitely be watching closely, popcorn at hand. **READ MORE:** [NASA says its plan to bring Mars samples back to Earth is safe, but some people are worried]() \[*The Philadelphia Inquirer*\] **More on the Mars rock blues:** [*Scientists Worried NASA Will Infect Earth With Deadly Martian Pathogens*]() ## Author At Futurism, I've often been drawn to unpacking the narratives that underlie technological, scientific and medical progress, with a special interest in areas of conflict and ambiguity that end up setting agendas and steering the fates of both elites and the hoi polloi. I'm a committed generalist, but I often find myself returning to work involving NASA and the private space sector, the effects of AI on media and society, and the mechanics of the pharmaceutical industry, with a specific focus on the spread of GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy. Prior to Futurism, I worked for publications ranging from Media Matters and Truthdig to Raw Story and Bustle. I'm also the author of "Myspace Scene Queens," a 2024 title in Instar Books' acclaimed "Remember the Internet" series. My work at Futurism has been cited by outlets including the New Yorker, Slate, Nieman Lab, the Verge, the MIT Technology Review, the Sunday Times, and the Daily Beast. I grew up in North Carolina, attended the University of North Carolina at Asheville, and now live in Brooklyn, New York. In my free time, I'm an avid reader and music fan; you can probably find me at a local poetry reading, concert, underground rave, or DJ set. I'm the proud parent of an ineffable orange cat named Mee-Mow. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()