Lifeforms Can Survive on ‘Significant’ Regions of the Moon, Study Finds

Earth Microbes Could Survive on the Moon's South Pole, Study Finds

New research led by NASA scientists suggests that some Earth microbes could survive in the shadowed nooks of the Moon's South Pole, a finding that has implications for upcoming crewed missions and the search for signs of life beyond Earth.

The study, published in the journal Science Advances on August 19, 2026, evaluated five forms of fungi and bacteria in modeling simulations of three regions near the lunar South Pole: Nobile Rim, Connecting Ridge, and de Gerlache Rim. The simulations used environmental conditions based on observations by NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter and data on radiation exposure, according to a report by the Jerusalem Post.

The findings indicated that some microbes could survive for periods of weeks to months in certain areas, such as inside craters that remain permanently shadowed, and during particular seasons—autumn and winter, according to planetary scientist Prabal Saxena of NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, the lead author of the study.

"Aspergillus was the most well-suited to survive in regions of the lunar poles. Fusarium was similarly resilient, though not to the extent of Aspergillus," Saxena said, as quoted by the Jerusalem Post and The Tribune.

The two fungi studied proved to be hardier than the three bacteria species. Aspergillus niger, a common fungal species sometimes called "black mold," was the most resilient. It has been found inside the International Space Station, and experiments have shown it can survive outside the station in orbit, according to multiple reports. The researchers also studied several species of Fusarium, a common soil-borne fungus, as well as three bacteria species: Deinococcus radiodurans, Staphylococcus aureus, and Bacillus subtilis.

The bacteria were less resilient to ultraviolet radiation and heat, with Deinococcus radiodurans being the most resilient among them, Saxena said, as reported by several outlets.

The study focused on the survival of the microbes, not their growth or reproduction, noted Heather Graham, an organic geochemist at Goddard and a study co-author, in comments cited by multiple sources. "But there are scenarios where cells can get buried, which would keep them warm and protected from radiation. There may also be scenarios where pockets of liquid water could form, which would potentially help the organisms grow," Graham said, as quoted by The Tribune.

UV radiation and heat (lunar daytime temperatures can reach roughly 127 degrees Celsius) were the biggest threats to microbial survival, along with energetic particle radiation and vacuum effects, according to reports. The models revealed "survivable niches" as large as crater floors miles wide, and Aspergillus niger could survive even in areas with some sunlight exposure, as reported by several sources.

The Moon's small axis tilt causes the Sun to hover near the horizon at the poles, creating permanently shadowed pockets that shield from radiation and can trap water ice, according to Tech Explorist and other outlets. These conditions, while still extreme, are less hostile than the rest of the lunar surface.

The findings raise concerns about unintended life transfer to the Moon. As humans build a permanent presence there, it may become difficult to distinguish ancient lunar chemistry from contamination delivered by visiting astronauts, according to the study and its authors.

"Contamination is unavoidable, so we need to track what we're bringing with us so that we can later distinguish lunar chemistry from stuff we brought from Earth," Graham said, as quoted by the Jerusalem Post.

Andrew Needham, another NASA Goddard-based co-author, added, "We need to understand what was there before us, because when we go to Mars to search for signs of life beyond our planet, we will want to make sure it's not stuff we brought," according to Phys.org.

Despite the concerns, the paper's authors also argued that the Moon could be used as a natural laboratory. In shaded areas around the South Pole, scientists could carefully test the real-life limits of microbial survival in an environment that can't easily be reproduced on Earth, as reported by Phys.org.

"Humans are natural explorers, and with them come their voices, their memories … and their microbes," Saxena said, as quoted by Phys.org. "For some scientists, myself included, that reality can be unsettling. But it also creates an opportunity to turn an imperfect situation into a useful experiment."

The study comes as NASA and other nations prepare to return humans to the lunar surface. The US-led Artemis program aims to land astronauts around the South Pole region, where water ice is believed to exist in permanently shadowed craters. Texas Public Radio reported that NASA could begin development of its lunar base as soon as later this year, with early missions expected to be uncrewed. Artemis IV, planned for early 2028, will take a crew to the South Pole for approximately a week, the first time Americans have been on the Moon in more than half a century, the same outlet reported.

The United States is in a race against China to return to the Moon, according to Texas Public Radio.

The study's conclusions suggested that survivable niches could be targets for sample acquisition, and that the Moon serves as a testbed for Mars exploration, as reported by Texas Public Radio and The Tribune.

Microbial life from Earth could also potentially arrive on the Moon through meteoric exchanges of rocks across space, according to a claim carried by a single outlet.

This study is part of a broader effort to understand how Earth life might spread to other worlds. As humanity embarks on a new era of lunar exploration, questions about preserving the Moon's pristine environment—and distinguishing what is natural from what we bring—are becoming increasingly important.