Mars presents an extraordinarily hostile environment for life as we know it. With an average surface temperature of -63°C, atmospheric pressure equivalent to Earth’s at 35km altitude, and radiation levels 400 times higher than on Earth, the Red Planet is far from hospitable. Its thin atmosphere is composed almost entirely of carbon dioxide, with only trace amounts of oxygen, and there is no stable liquid water—only occasional salty trickles.
Despite these extremes, some Earth organisms have shown limited resilience. Between 2008 and 2016, the European Space Agency conducted experiments aboard the International Space Station, exposing various organisms to simulated Martian conditions. Tardigrades, fungi, and certain bacteria survived for over a year, albeit in dormant states such as spores or cysts. Some lichens and algae even demonstrated metabolic activity when partially shielded from radiation, suggesting survival might be possible if sheltered beneath the Martian surface.
In 2024, Chinese scientists revealed that a desert moss species, Syntrichia caninervis, could endure simulated Martian conditions and resume normal growth after a week. However, the moss showed no signs of metabolic activity—such as oxygen production—while under those conditions, indicating it was merely surviving, not thriving.
Mars also poses chemical dangers. Its soil contains perchlorates—oxidising agents toxic to cells and damaging to DNA, especially under UV light. The Chinese experiment did not include perchlorates, which likely would have been fatal to the moss. Some Earth fungi and bacteria can tolerate or even metabolise perchlorates, but they still require water and warmth to function.
In essence, Mars combines every method Earth uses to preserve food—freezing, dehydration, UV sterilisation, salting, and vacuum-sealing—making it an almost perfect sterilising environment. Although a few extremophiles might survive temporarily, thriving or reproducing life on Mars remains a distant prospect.
