UMars ungomunye wamaplanethi, okuzayo okuhlela ukukwazi ukuba ngumhlaba wonke wezimpilo zabantu. Abanye ososayensi banethemba lokuthi umkhathi we-Mars ungaphinda abuye, akhule izihlahla, athole izinqolobane zeqhwa ezinkulu zokuthola inani elidingekayo lamanzi. Ososayensi bathuthukisa ubuchwepheshe obusha obungasiza abantu ekoloni leplanethi ebomvu, ukuletha ubuntu ekuhambeni kwesikhala esikhulu.
NgoFebhuwari 17, yayaziwa ngobuchwepheshe obusha bokwenza ama-cyanobacteria ngezimo eziseduzane nangokunokwenzeka kuMartian. Ochwepheshe baphawula ukuthi uhlobo olusha lwamaBacteria Anabaena luzophumelela kuphela ngokucindezela okuphansi futhi kusetshenziswa amagesi ama-Martian, izakhi zomzimba namanzi, kepha ukukhiqizwa emizimbeni komhlaba kuba nzima.
Ubuchwepheshe obusha bathetshelwe ivesi leSiriein, elibhekisa ilabhorethri ye-Space Space Microbiology enkabeni yobuchwepheshe besikhala esisetshenzisiwe kanye ne-microgravity (iZarm) ye-University of Bremen eJalimane. Uthe okulandelayo:
Ukukhiqiza amakoloni ama-cyanobacteria ku-Mars, amagesi atholakala esimweni seMartian angasetshenziswa njengomthombo we-nitrogen nekhabhoni. Futhi ezimweni zeMartian, ama-cyanobacteria agcina amandla abo okukhula emanzini, aqukethe uthuli lweMartian kuphela. Sikholwa ukuthi intuthuko yethu izosiza ngokwengeziwe ukuletha ubuntu ezindizeni eziya kuma-MARS, kanye nekoloni lomhlaba ngekusasa elibonakalayo. I-Cyanobacteria yavela ngemizamo yethu, engasinda eplanethi ebomvu.
Ochwepheshe abavela ezweni lesayensi sekuyisikhathi eside becubungula uhlobo lokudalwa kwezinhlobo ezahlukahlukene zamagciwane ezingasinda kwamanye amaplanethi noma ama-satellites. I-Cyanobacteria iyakwazi ukuguqula i-nitrogen evela emkhathini ibe yizakhi. Phambilini, ochwepheshe baphawula izinkinga eziningi ezihlobene nokugcinwa kokusekelwa kwempilo ye-cyanobacteria, kepha inqubo entsha yokulima izovumela ukudlula kule nkinga.
Ababhali bocwaningo bayazethemba. Yiziphi izimo zokufakelwa ezenzelwe ama-bacterium akhulayo emhlabeni zihlangana ngezimo eziyisibonelo ezikuMars, ngakho-ke akufanele kube nezimo ezingalindelekile lapho zizama ukukhulisa i-cyanobacteria anabaena eMars.