A new study says the risks of contaminating Mars with Earth bacteria could be higher with the upcoming Curiosity rover than with previous rovers.
The difference involves differing landing strategies. Up to now, rovers have landed on a platform and haven't come into physical contact with the Martian surface for hours or days. That gave the harsh Martian environment time to kill whatever microbes might have survived the long spaceflight from Earth. Curiosity, however, will not land on a platform. Instead, it will land directly on its six wheels, thus giving whatever live microbes it might contain immediate access to Mars.
Of course, odds are any Earthly bacteria that make it to Mars won't survive long in any case.
Curiosity is scheduled to land on Mars in August, 2012, after months in space.
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