Tardigrade Spill on the Moon Proves We Need Rules for Spreading Life Beyond Earth

"On April 11, a private spacecraft crashed into the moon. But it wasn’t just bent metal and twisted bolts scattered across the lunar landscape—the wreckage included thousands of tardigrades, incredibly resilient micro-animals. The famously-hardy tardigrades might have survived the crash landing and are a perfect reminder that it's time to start talking about what rules we want to shape our space environment.

While not illegal, the idea that a private company could accidentally scatter living creatures on the Moon without any oversight or even disclosure is unnerving. Governments adhere to planetary protection protocols to limit biologically contaminating other worlds, but we don’t have laws or even cultural practices that place similar limits on private entities. We could change that"

read more>>

Tardigrade Spill on the Moon Proves We Need Rules for Spreading Life Beyond Earth - VICE