Mars Mission is a dream of Elon Musk, if this comes true then the big question would be "Will humans contaminate the red planet or will they be threat to aliens?" Earth is the only planet with life and it is primarily the microbes that existed before other species could evolve.
Humans may dream of a legendary mission to Mars and colonizing it. However, humans are not concerned of the microbes they may carry to Mars.
How will Mars ambitions by Elon Musk prevent invasion of microbes to other worlds? Many believe in the concept of Mars settlements in future.
"It was fully recognized that humans could potentially colonize Mars in the future," Catherine Conley, NASA's planetary protection officer, tells The Verge. Human settlement is not incompatible with planetary protection.
Conley explained although rovers and spacecraft can be sterilized, humans cannot. Human body is a place where more than 10,000 different types of bacteria reside as Bloomberg reports.
Scientists round the globe have to assess the mutual benefits versus harm from Mars settlements. Anything from Earth can harm Mars and the vice versa.
Intervention of humans in space as the Mars Mission may contaminate other planetary bodies and threaten alien life, (if exists). There is an Outer Space Treaty - an international agreement signed by 104 state parties in 1967.
According to Article IX of the treaty, nations can explore other worlds with the purpose of avoiding their contamination and harm. According to NASA scientists it is prudent to learn more about Mars before sending teams that may bring harm to the planet and to Earth.
Life on Mars is yet to be determined. However, SpaceX owner Elon Musk argues that there is no life on Mars.
The SpaceX company does believe planetary protections importance. "SpaceX takes planetary protection very seriously," Dex Torricke-Barton, SpaceX head of communications, said in a statement to The Washington Post.
If there is life on Mars, then it will potentially be a threat to the humans. Conversely, microbes carried by humans may be a threat to the Aliens on Mars.
