Question

scientists discovered bacteria inside one of the returned pieces of Surveyor 3 What are some possible explanations for this surprising discovery

Answer 1

A small colony of common bacteria -- Streptococcus Mitis -- had stowed away on the device. Streptococcus Mitis is a mesophilic alpha-hemolytic species of Streptococcus that inhabits the human mouth. It has been widely reported that this organism survived for over two years on the Surveyor 3 probe on the moon; but some NASA scientists suggest this may be a result of contamination during or after return of Surveyor parts to Earth.

Step-by-step explanation:

The person above me is correct but I fixed some spelling errors from her answer so it's more clear to read I hope it's ok :)

Answer 2

A small colony of common bacteria -- Streptococcus Mitis -- had stowed away on the device. Streptococcus Mitis is a mesophilic alpha-hemolytic species of Streptococcus that inhabits the human mouth. It has been widely reported that this organism survived for over two years on the Surveyor 3 probe on the moon; but some NASA scientists suggest this may be a result of contamination during or after return of Surveyor parts to Earth.