Top 3 candidates in our solar system to host microbial life from Earth

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around identifying three candidates within our solar system that could potentially support microbial life from Earth, focusing on the conditions necessary for these microbes to thrive without human intervention. The scope includes theoretical considerations of habitability and the implications of introducing Earth life to other celestial bodies.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants propose Enceladus, sub-surface Europa, and sub-surface Mars as the top three candidates for sustaining microbial life from Earth.
  • One participant questions the selection of Mars, noting the need for liquid water and suggesting that the presence of water vapor in Mars' atmosphere may only support extremophile microorganisms.
  • Another participant emphasizes that while Mars may have liquid water beneath its surface, the overall environment is largely inhospitable for life.
  • A different viewpoint argues against the idea of transplanting Earth life, advocating for the preservation of potential native habitats and suggesting that Titan could be a candidate for exotic forms of life.
  • There is a clarification that the discussion is focused on where Earth-based life could survive rather than where native life might exist, with a call to avoid debates on planetary protection laws.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express differing views on the selection of candidates and the implications of introducing Earth life to other celestial bodies. There is no consensus on the best candidates or the ethical considerations surrounding contamination.

Contextual Notes

Participants highlight the complexity of habitability, including the need for liquid water and the varying depths of subsurface environments, which may affect the viability of microbial life. The discussion also touches on the ethical implications of contaminating other celestial bodies.

lifeonmercury
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Assume that you are commissioned to select three solar system bodies (planets or moons) to deposit a colony of bacteria or microbes of your choice outside (i.e. either on the surface or underground, but not in any man-made enclosure). No resources from Earth (such as food, water, organic material) may be deposited.

The aim is for the bacterial populations to flourish (or at least maintain their population size in a non-dormant state) indefinitely without any further assistance from humans. Also assume there is an enormous budget for this, so the cost and resources that would need to be devoted to getting the microbes there is not a factor.

Based on your current knowledge and assumptions, which planets/moons would be best suited to sustain microbial life from Earth if you were forced to pick three? (To those who would rather criticize or ridicule the question instead of answering it, please don't feel obligated to respond, thanks!)
 
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1. Enceladus
2. Sub-surface Europa
3. Sub-surface Mars
 
It's essentially the same question as where can we hope to find microbial life.

Ernest S Walton said:
1. Enceladus
2. Sub-surface Europa
3. Sub-surface Mars
Surely, 1 is also sub-surface?
And why Mars? You'd need liquid water.
 
There is water vapor in Mars' atmosphere. Not much, but maybe sufficient for some extremophile microorganisms to survive on.
 
Bandersnatch said:
Surely, 1 is also sub-surface?

Technically sub-surface yes but possibly no more than tens of metres compared to kilometres in the case of e.g. Europa
And why Mars? You'd need liquid water.

Liquid water is still a live possibility on Mars but essentially this third-place pick illustrates the largely inhospitable reality that is the Solar System.
 
Wait, are you talking about transplanting Earth life or which places are best to find native life? Stop thinking about contaminating the solar system. We crash our probes specifically to avoid contamination. You want to see how tough Earth-life is, fine, replicate environments in a lab, don't destroy potential habitats for non-Earth life. The idea that Earth life is special is a religious idea, not a scientific one.

Also, Mars is wet inside. Don't expect life to exist anywhere near the surface of any place in the solar system other than Earth.Titan is also a possibility for some more exotic forms of life.
 
This is about where Earth-based life could best survive elsewhere (and not about where it most likely might already exist). Thinking about it won't contaminate anything.
I'd prefer not to have this discussion devolve into an argument about the merits (or lack thereof) of planetary protection laws.
 
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