Quiz on Mars Contamination and Space Exploration

What is the name of NASA's most recent rover sent to Mars?

• Curiosity

• Perseverance

• Opportunity

• Spirit

What is the primary concern regarding 'forward contamination'?

• Accidentally introducing Earth microbes to Mars

• Bringing back hazardous materials to Earth

• The speed of spacecraft

• The cost of space missions

What method is used to identify microbes in clean rooms?

• Culturing

• Microscopy

• Chemical analysis

• DNA sequencing

What is the potential risk of microbes to astronauts?

• They can enhance their health

• They can cause life-support equipment to malfunction

• They can improve mission success

• They can help in food production

What is the purpose of the Mars Sample Return Mission planned for 2028?

• To send humans to Mars

• To bring Martian samples back to Earth

• To test new spacecraft technology

• To establish a colony on Mars

What do clean rooms at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory aim to minimize?

• Cost of missions

• Biological contamination

• Weight of spacecraft

• Energy consumption

What is a significant challenge in ensuring spacecraft are free of microbes?

• Microbes are expensive to remove

• Microbes are beneficial for astronauts

• Microbes are everywhere and hard to eliminate completely

• Microbes can enhance spacecraft performance

What is the role of the 'Extreme Microbiome Project'?

• To study the effects of space travel on humans

• To catalog extreme biology for potential applications

• To develop new spacecraft materials

• To find new planets for colonization

What is a potential consequence of not properly identifying life on Mars?

• Discovery of new technologies

• Increased funding for space missions

• Misguided research into Martian life

• Improved astronaut health

What adaptation might microbes from Earth undergo when exposed to Martian conditions?

• They will become extinct

• They may evolve and adapt

• They will remain unchanged

• They will become harmful to humans