Earth Microbes Discovered in Asteroid Ryugu Sample, Raises Contamination Concerns

Earth Microbes Discovered in Asteroid Ryugu Sample, Raises Contamination Concerns

ByNews Polite

A study published in Meteoritics & Planetary Science has reported the discovery of terrestrial micro-organisms in a sample returned from asteroid Ryugu by Japan’s Hayabusa2 mission. According to researchers, these microbes, identified as Earth-based in origin, had colonised the sample after its return to Earth in December 2020. The findings…