Biologists are going to study the effects of space travel on microscopic life forms. They want to fine out if it’s possible to survive for long periods in space. The micro-organisms are on an unmanned spacecraft which set off for Mars in 2009. It will land there, pick up some Martian soil and then come back to Earth. A team of geologists is going to analyse the soil. If everything goes will, the spacecraft will get back to Earth in two year’s time.