NASA and Governments Warned of Extraterrestrial Contagion Risk
A report from the US Bipartisan Commission on Biodefense has cautioned NASA and governments worldwide against the potential risk of extraterrestrial contagion, highlighting the need to prevent a global catastrophe. This warning comes in the wake of hundreds of deaths in Arizona attributed to near-instantaneous blood clots, traced to a crashed satellite believed to have brought a deadly pathogen from space.
The report emphasizes the growing biological risks associated with human exploration of the solar system and beyond, urging immediate action to address the intersection of space exploration and infectious disease. It advises NASA to act swiftly to counter potential biological threats before they materialize and emphasizes the importance of preventing the introduction of Earthly organisms into space environments.
Furthermore, the report cautions against the potential consequences of bringing back extraterrestrial or mutated terrestrial microbes that could pose a threat to Earth’s health or ecosystem. Research indicates that spaceflight can reactivate dormant viruses in astronauts, increasing viral shedding. This poses a significant threat to individuals in space-like environments, as a human infection could have devastating consequences.
Public health expert JT O’Brien, a principal researcher at the Commission, stresses the need to develop containment protocols in advance to ensure that any extraterrestrial microbes brought back to Earth do not escape into the environment. He warns that organisms returning from space could be significantly altered, potentially carrying more lethal and dangerous super-mutated versions of respiratory viruses like SARS-CoV-2 (Covid) or influenza.
