The Apollo missions might have exposed our entire planet to 'lunar germs'

When NASA sent people to the moon for the first time, it took some precautions to make sure that nothing would hitch a ride back. But was it enough?
Footage from a new PBS documentary reveals that Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins, two out of the three astronauts on the Apollo 11 mission that allowed humanity to walk on the moon for the first time, have their doubts about the sanitation methods NASA used to disinfect them once they were back on Earth.
NASA didn't really believe that any sort of "lunar germs" would infect the astronauts, Space reports; but if there were, they might still be out there. As Collins explained, even though he never set foot on the moon's surface, he would have been exposed to any germs as soon as Aldrin and Neil Armstrong returned to the module that would eventually take them home.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
While the astronauts were held in quarantine for 21 days, they still might have contaminated the Pacific Ocean with their space germs. After disinfecting the astronauts on a raft with a cloth, rescue personnel dropped the rag into the ocean — which just "takes all those germs to the bottom of the ocean," Aldrin recounted. "I wonder if they'd survive down there?"
The probable answer is no — which is why NASA dropped its quarantine procedure after the Apollo 14 mission. But if there's something lurking out there, then it's already probably too late for us.
Read more at Space, or catch the documentary Chasing the Moon on PBS this week. It will air on July 8, 9, and 10, at 9 p.m. ET.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Shivani is the editorial assistant at TheWeek.com and has previously written for StreetEasy and Mic.com. A graduate of the physics and journalism departments at NYU, Shivani currently lives in Brooklyn and spends free time cooking, watching TV, and taking too many selfies.
-
Christian extremism: Taking 'holy war' literally
Feature A self-proclaimed minister shot two lawmakers and kept a 'kill list' targeting Democratic officials and abortion providers
-
Iran: Is regime change possible?
Feature The U.S.-Israeli attack exposed cracks in Iran's regime
-
What to know about private equity in your 401(k)
the explainer BlackRock is making private investments available in employer-sponsored retirement plans
-
Ukraine scrambles as Trump cuts weapons deliveries
Speed Read The halting of weapons shipments was driven by Pentagon policy chief Elbridge Colby, a Ukraine funding skeptic
-
IAEA: Iran could enrich uranium 'within months'
Speed Read The chief United Nations nuclear inspector, Rafael Grossi, says Iran could be enriching uranium again soon
-
One year after mass protests, why are Kenyans taking to the streets again?
today's big question More than 60 protesters died during demonstrations in 2024
-
Iran nukes program set back months, early intel suggests
Speed Read A Pentagon assessment says US bombing of Iranian nuclear sites only set the program back by months, not years. This contradicts President Donald Trump's claim.
-
Trump says Iran and Israel agreed to ceasefire
Speed Read This followed a night of Israeli airstrikes on Tehran and multiple waves of missiles fired by Iran
-
Israel strikes Iran, killing military and nuclear chiefs
Speed Read Israeli officials said the attack was a 'preemptive' strike on Iran's nuclear program
-
Israel deports Thunberg after seizing Gaza aid boat
speed read The Swedish activist was delivering food and medical aid to Palestine, highlighting the growing humanitarian crisis there
-
Colombian senator shot on streets of Bogotá
speed read Miguel Uribe Turbay, who has announced his candidacy for next year's presidential election, was shot at a rally