Sustainability of Extreme Microbial Ecosystems to the Comprehensive Impact of Physical Factors of the Martian Regolith


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Abstract

As the key parameters of the Martian regolith, we have studied the combined effect of gamma radiation (1 and 10 kGy), low temperature (–50°C), and low pressure (1 Torr) on the microbial communities of extreme ecotopes of Earth to estimate the duration of cryopreservation of hypothetical Martian ecosystems in a viable state. The obtained data suggest that cryopreservation of viable microorganisms in the surface layer of the regolith is possible for at least 130000 years; at a depth of 30 cm, for 170000 years; at a depth of 2 m (the depth which the ExoMars 2020 mission must reach), for 330000 years; and at a depth of 5 m, for 2 million years.

About the authors

V. S. Cheptsov

Department of Soil Science; Space Research Institute

Author for correspondence.
Email: cheptcov.vladimir@gmail.com
Russian Federation, Moscow, 119991; Moscow, 117997

E. A. Vorobyova

Department of Soil Science; Space Research Institute

Email: cheptcov.vladimir@gmail.com
Russian Federation, Moscow, 119991; Moscow, 117997

L. M. Polyanskaya

Department of Soil Science

Email: cheptcov.vladimir@gmail.com
Russian Federation, Moscow, 119991

M. V. Gorlenko

Department of Soil Science

Email: cheptcov.vladimir@gmail.com
Russian Federation, Moscow, 119991

A. K. Pavlov

Ioffe Physical-Technical Institute

Email: cheptcov.vladimir@gmail.com
Russian Federation, St. Petersburg, 194021

V. N. Lomasov

Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University

Email: cheptcov.vladimir@gmail.com
Russian Federation, St. Petersburg, 195251

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