Eccentric entrepreneurs like Elon Musk want to send people to the moon or Mars to ensure humanity survives a global climate disaster.
But what happens to the wildlife on our planet when such a disaster occurs?
Scientists may have finally found an answer as they propose building a “biorepository” on the moon to protect Earth’s rich diversity of wildlife.
The biorepository would contain frozen cells from millions of ‘cryopreserved’ animal species, from mammals to reptiles, birds and amphibians.
If life on Earth is wiped out, hopefully these cells can be cloned to create new life – on Earth, the moon, or another planet.
At an average distance of 388,855 kilometers, the Moon is far enough from Earth to survive a climate change that would wipe out animal life.
Scientists at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute (NZCBI) in Washington, DC, outlined their hugely ambitious plan in a paper published in Life Sciences.
While they don’t estimate the exact cost of a biorepository on the moon, they think it would likely be five times more expensive to set up than one on Earth, but cheaper to maintain.
“Initially, a lunar biorepository would focus on the species that are currently most threatened on Earth,” said lead author Mary Hagedorn, a cryobiologist at NZCBI.
“But our ultimate goal is to cryopreserve most species on Earth.”
At an average distance of 384,000 kilometers, the Moon is far enough from Earth to survive a climate change that would spell the end of animal life on Earth.
But it also has the advantage of being cold enough to keep animal cell samples frozen, without the need for electricity as on Earth.
The scientists propose to locate the “biorepository” in the moon’s particularly cold polar regions, where craters are located that, due to their location and depth, never receive sunlight.
These so-called permanently shaded areas can be as hot as -410°F (-246°C) – more than cold enough for cryopreservation.
The experts draw their inspiration from the Global Seed Vault in Spitsbergen, Norway, an underground bunker where frozen seeds are stored in case the world’s crop is destroyed.
In 2017, the collection was threatened by flooding due to thawing permafrost, showing that even an underground bunker can be vulnerable to climate change.
Svalbard Global Seed Vault stores ‘backup copies’ of valuable plant seeds in case the originals are lost
The photo shows a vault carved into the Arctic permafrost on Svalbard, filled with samples of the world’s most important seeds in case disaster wipes out food crops.
Compared to seeds, animal cells require much lower storage temperatures to preserve them (-320°F or -196°C).
As part of their research, Hagedorn and colleagues cryopreserved skin samples from a reef fish called the starry goby, specifically its fins.
The fins contain a type of skin cell called fibroblasts. These cells form the structural framework for animal tissue and play an important role in wound healing.
The samples will then be subjected to a radiation test, similar to lunar surface exposure, in preparation for sending biological material to the Moon.
Another future step is to design packaging that can withstand the radiation and microgravity typical of space travel.
The samples may first be sent to the International Space Station (ISS) to see how they behave in space, in case adjustments to the packaging are needed.
Scientists cryopreserved skin samples from a star goby, a common reef fish (pictured). The samples will undergo radiation exposure testing in preparation for sending biological material to the moon.
Samples could possibly be sent to the International Space Station (ISS) first to see how they would behave in space
Ultimately, the first batch of cell samples from the most endangered species could be carried by astronauts as part of future missions to the moon under NASA’s Artemis program.
Artemis will eventually establish a permanent base and “sustained human presence” on the moon, with buildings and infrastructure.
Of course, the ambitious project is likely to face many obstacles, including the sheer number of animal species on Earth – estimated at 7 million.
According to a study published in November last year, 2 million animal and plant species are currently threatened with extinction.
But the scientists stress that this is a “decades-long programme” and a long-term project that will require massive international collaboration.
“Realising a lunar biorepository will require collaboration from a wide range of countries, cultural groups, agencies, and international stakeholders to develop acceptable sample repositories, governance, and long-term plans,” they say.
‘Protecting life on Earth must be a top priority as lunar sites become increasingly sought by industry and many branches of science.’