Elon Musk's Bacteria-Covered Space Car May Be a 'Biothreat'
https://motherboard.vice.com/en_us/article/gy83wx/elon-musk-bacteria-contamination-spacex-tesla-panspermia
Earlier this month, SpaceX CEO Elon Musk launched his personal Tesla into space on top of the most powerful rocket in the world. At first glance, it would appear that the car was launched without any passengers aside from an empty space suit Musk dubbed ‘Starman.’
But Jay Melosh, a professor of Earth and planetary sciences at Purdue University, said the car is likely teeming with bacterial life collected during its manufacture and as Musk drove it around Los Angeles. In fact, it may be the largest collection of terrestrial bacteria ever sent into space, considering that rocket payloads are typically sterilized before launch.
Elon Musk's Bacteria-Covered Space Car May Be a 'Biothreat'
Feb 28, 2018, 7:18pm UTC
https://motherboard.vice.com/en_us/article/gy83wx/elon-musk-bacteria-contamination-spacex-tesla-panspermia
>Earlier this month, SpaceX CEO Elon Musk launched his personal Tesla into space on top of the most powerful rocket in the world. At first glance, it would appear that the car was launched without any passengers aside from an empty space suit Musk dubbed ‘Starman.’
> But Jay Melosh, a professor of Earth and planetary sciences at Purdue University, said the car is likely teeming with bacterial life collected during its manufacture and as Musk drove it around Los Angeles. In fact, it may be the largest collection of terrestrial bacteria ever sent into space, considering that rocket payloads are typically sterilized before launch.