2. Microbiological Risks Associated With Spaceflight
Duane L. Pierson, Ph.D.
NASA Johnson Space Center
Houston, Texas

3. MICROBIOLOGY MISSION STATEMENT
Our mission is to enable human exploration and habitation of space through a better understanding of microbes and human–microbe interactions in the space environment.   
MAJOR FOCUS: RISK MITIGATION
SPACE FLIGHT OPERATIONS
OPERATIONAL BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH
REQUIREMENTS
ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING
CREW DIAGNOSTICS
FOOD ANALYSIS
CREW TRAINING
DATABASE
INFECTIOUS DISEASE RISK (HOST-MICROBE INTERACTION)
SPACE FLIGHT
GROUND-BASED

4. ADVERSE EFFECTS OF MICROORGANISMS
Infectious Diseases
Toxin Production
Plant Diseases
Allergies
Food Spoilage
Volatile Release
Material Degradation
Immune Alteration
Environmental Contamination

5. PREVENTIVE MEASURES Acceptability standards Preflight assessment
(air, surfaces, water, and food)
Preflight assessment
Crew
Environment
Payload biosafety assessment
In-flight environmental monitoring
Air: Microbial Air Sampler
Surfaces: Surface Sampler Kit
Water: Water Microbiology Kit

6. PREFLIGHT IN-FLIGHT POSTFLIGHT
STS MISSION PROFILE
PREFLIGHT IN-FLIGHT POSTFLIGHT
ACTIVITIES
Microbiology
Viral Serology
Food Analysis
Orbiter Evaluation
Crew Evaluation
Orbiter Water
L-90
L-2
L-30
R+0
L-40
L-2
R+0
L-15
Servicing

9. AIR DATA STS-58 CFU Bacteria Fungi /m FD1 FD6 FD12 1200 1000 800 6003 3 /m
800
CFU
600
400
200
Middeck
Flight
Spacelab
Middeck
Flight
Spacelab
Middeck
Flight
Spacelab
Deck
Deck
Deck
FD1
FD6
FD12

10. Bacteria Isolated From Shuttle In-Flight Air (n=16)
Flavobacterium sp .
Klebsiella sp .
Pseudomonas paucimobilis
Serratia marcescens
Unidentified gram negative rods
Enterobacter sp .
Acinetobacter sp .
Streptococcus sp .
Staphylococcus
aureus
Corynebacterium sp .
Bacillus sp .
Micrococcus sp .
Staphylococcus sp . 20 40 60 80
100
Isolation Frequency (%)

11. Fungi Isolated From Shuttle In-Flight Air (n=16)
Pleospora sp.
Nigrospora sp.
Geotrichum sp.
Rhodotorula sp.
Microsporium sp.
Drechslera sp.
Streptomyces sp.
Alternaria sp.
Cladosporium sp.
Aspergillus fumigatus
Hyphomycete
Penicillium sp.
Aspergillus sp. 20 40 60 80
100
Isolation Frequency (%)

14. …. is nearly overrun with the stuff (fungi). Vistors
Gareth
Cook, Boston Globe Staff ( )
“. . . The aging
mir
…. is nearly overrun with
the stuff (fungi).
Vistors
have found numerous
fungal patches with hues between green and
black, feeding behind control panels, slowly
digesting the ship’s air conditioner,
communications unit, and myriad other
surfaces.”

15. “. . . Mir crewmembers noticed that the view
from the station’s porthole was deteriorating
due to an unknown film that was spreading like
horror movie scum.”
Yuri
Karash
Space.com 7/27/00

16. MICROBIAL ANALYSIS DURING FLIGHT
Water
Surfaces
Air

19. BACTERIA FROM MIR SURFACE CONDENSATE
NASA 6
“SLIMY” SAMPLE
NASA 7
“SLIMY” SAMPLE
NASA 7
“FRESH” SAMPLE
Alcaligenes eutrophus
Alcaligenes latus
Citrobacter freundii
Corynebacterium aquaticum
Corynebacterium jeikeium
Enterobacter agglomerans
Escherichia coli
Hydrogenophaga flava
Kingella denitrifican
Methylobacterium
species
Pseudomonas vesicularis
Serratia liquefaciens
Unidentified gram negative rod
Xanthomonas maltophilia
Alcaligenes faecalis
Bacillus circulans
Bacillus coagulans
Bacillus licheniformis
Bacillus pumilus
Bacillus
species
CDC Group IVC 2
Citrobacter brackii
Citrobacter freundii
Comamonas acidovorans
Corynebacterium species
Flavobacterium meningosepticum
Presumptive Legionella species
Pseudomonas fluorescens
Serratia liquefaciens
Serratia marcesens
Unidentified gram negative rods (3)
Yersinia frederiksenii
Yersinia intermedia
Bacillus coagulans
Bacillus licheniformis
Bacillus pumilus
Bacillus
species
Comamonas acidovorans
Corynebacterium species
Enterobacter cloacae
Presumptive Legionella species
Pseudomonas species
Rhodococcus species
Serratia liquefaciens
Serratia marcerans
Sphingobacterium thalpophilum
Unidentified gram negative rods (4)
Yersinia frederiksenii
Yersinia intermedia
Escherichia coli
Presumptive Legionella
Serratia marcescens

20. Organisms Recovered From Mir Surface Condensate
ciliated protozoa
dust mite
ameoba
spirochete-form bacterium

21. BACTERIAL FINGERPRINTING

22. BIODEGRADATION
Microorganisms play a key role in the biodestruction of materials and can contribute to equipment and hardware malfunctions

23. Future Directions

24. Major Challenges in Mars Exploration
Air
Food
Water
• Habitability
Radiation Effects
• Crew Contamination
• Forward-Backward Contamination