Are We Bringing Our Germs to Mars?

By Bryan Walsh Thursday, Feb. 05, 2009

NASA / AP

Star Trek fans know it as the Prime Directive: that there should be no interference with the internal affairs of other civilizations. (Given the frequency with which captains Kirk, Picard, et. al., violate it, however, the Prime Directive seems more like a Prime Suggestion.) Since human beings have yet to explore very far beyond Earth, pondering an interplanetary noninterference policy of our own may seem a little premature — at least until we've mastered warp drives and phasers.

Very interesting article

I have noticed that we (humans) are leaving debris and littering up the planets we land on. Even though we have yet to step on another world other than our own Moon. And haven't we left that a mess? Several Apollo missions leaving junk skattered about flags, landing assemblies left behind with the LM a couple of "go carts" etc. Heck, we even sent some to Titan with the Huygens lander being left. I mean how would you feel if Klingons came to our planet and started digging and futzing and then just left their junk behind? worth thinking at least.