Study finds Earth microbes can survive at Moon's south pole

A NASA-led study published on August 19, 2026, in the journal Science Advances has found that certain microbes carried by humans could survive for days in the permanently shadowed regions of the Moon's South Pole, a discovery that challenges assumptions about the lunar surface's hostility to life and raises new concerns about contamination for upcoming crewed missions.

The research, led by planetary scientist Prabal Saxena of NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, modeled how five common microorganisms would behave in the extreme environment of the lunar South Pole. The team focused on three candidate Artemis landing sites: Nobile Rim, Connecting Ridge, and De Gerlache Rim. These areas were chosen because the Moon's minimal axial tilt causes sunlight to skim the horizon at the poles, creating deep, cold shadows that shield the surface from lethal ultraviolet radiation.

Using high-resolution data from NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, the scientists simulated conditions in these regions and compared them to the known survival limits of bacteria and fungi frequently found on spacecraft and in human environments. The microbes tested included the fungus Aspergillus niger, as well as...