Lunar Biorepository: A Plan to Preserve Life on Earth
A new proposal aims to safeguard Earth’s biodiversity by establishing a biorepository on the moon. This innovative idea could offer a backup plan to preserve living organisms in the event of widespread extinctions, utilizing the moon’s unique environment for long-term storage.
Mary Hagedorn from the Smithsonian’s National Zoo & Conservation Biology Institute, along with her team, has proposed creating this lunar biorepository as a solution to the current crisis of species extinction on Earth. The initiative has three primary objectives: preserving Earth’s biological diversity, protecting species that might be beneficial for space exploration, and storing microorganisms that could be crucial for terraforming other planets in the future.
Hagedorn explains that the team sought a location that would maintain the necessary cryogenic temperatures of -196°C—where nitrogen is liquid and all biological activity halts—without requiring constant power or maintenance. “There is no place on Earth cold enough to sustain such a low temperature passively,” says Hagedorn. “This led us to consider space, and specifically the moon.”
The lunar south pole was chosen for this purpose due to its deep craters that remain in permanent shadow, ensuring a consistently cold environment. By burying the samples about 2 meters beneath the lunar surface, the repository could also be shielded from harmful radiation.
Previous attempts to build secure biorepositories on Earth have faced challenges. For instance, the Svalbard Global Seed Vault in Norway, designed to stay below -18°C through surrounding permafrost, is now at risk due to climate change and rising temperatures. Similarly, other biorepository sites close to urban areas are vulnerable to human interference and geopolitical instability.
Andrew Pask from the University of Melbourne, Australia, who is developing a repository for Australian species, supports the lunar biorepository concept. “We would welcome the opportunity to have our samples in additional, secure locations. At this stage, the moon appears to be a promising option,” he says.
However, Rachael Lappan from Monash University in Melbourne raises concerns about the practicality of a lunar repository. She points out challenges such as the difficulties in accessing the moon to manage samples and suggests that a network of terrestrial repositories with robust redundancy might be more practical. “We need to ensure that the repository is accessible and usable if needed,” Lappan argues.
Despite these concerns, Alice Gorman from Flinders University in Adelaide, Australia, sees value in preserving human artifacts in space. She likens the concept to the Voyager spacecraft’s golden records, which were sent into space to represent humanity to potential extraterrestrial civilizations. “Whether it's cryogenically frozen living tissue or digital archives, having a repository in space could serve as a form of cultural preservation,” Gorman notes.
In conclusion, while the lunar biorepository proposal presents an exciting frontier in conservation and space exploration, it also faces significant logistical and practical challenges. Whether or not it becomes a reality, the idea represents a bold step towards ensuring the preservation of life and knowledge for future generations.
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