Life endures Composite telescope image of the Moon taken from Earth. Scientists believe that some microbes could survive for a week or more at the lunar poles. (Courtesy: Gregory H Revera/CC BY-SA 3.0)"> Life endures Composite telescope image of the Moon taken from Earth. Scientists believe that some microbes could survive for a week or more at the lunar poles. (Courtesy: Gregory H Revera/CC BY-SA 3.0)

The Moon’s polar regions may be less hostile to microbes than previously thought. This is the new finding from researchers at NASA and the University of Maryland in the US who say that future crewed missions to the lunar south pole will have to be carefully thought out to limit the unintended transfer of Earth life forms.

High ultraviolet radiation and temperatures make the Moon’s surface a harsh place and not somewhere bacteria and other micro-organisms can easily survive. This is particularly true for the equatorial regions, where all previous crewed missions have been sent.…