Alien bugs hidden on Mars could destroy life on Earth.
Alien bugs hidden on Mars could cause a deadly plague on Earth
Experts fear that rocks on the Red Planet may contain deadly microbes that could spark a catastrophic plague if they escape.
Samples found on Mars are to be blasted back to Earth by NASA's Perseverance rover and the space agency hope that they will be able to prove the existence of alien life, but there are concerns about a deadly disease being released.
Barry DiGregorio, from the International Committee Against Mars Sample Return, said: "You could imagine what would happen if you have pathogenic organisms from another planet and you had that sort of event take place."
NASA has announced that it will build a secure laboratory to store the rocks at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas and insist that safety "will be a priority".
Geologist Peter Doran, of Louisiana State University, said: "We definitely have to take this stance of protecting Earth, at least in the early missions, until we know what's there."