They are studying microbes here on Earth that live in really tough places, like boiling hot springs and icy permafrost. A NASA recent expedition to northern Siberia discovered micro-organisms living underground in the ice. The ecosystems of the ice and permafrost of Siberia might provide clues to the possibility of life in the ice of Mars and an ice-covered moon of Jupiter called Europa. Many years ago, Carl Sagan made Mars Jars. In 1969, the Apollo 12 crew recovered a camera left on the moon for three years by an earlier probe.
Some microbes can make it.
In a NASA educational activity called 'Life On The Edge' microbes are being exposed to harsh environments and then distributed to classrooms for testing. In the first stage of the project, microbes known as baker's yeast were transported to a high mountain peak to endure three months of harsh winter at high altitude. The winter at the White Mountain summit is similar to summer in Antarctica. Just delivering the microbes was an exciting adventure. When the microbes are gathered again, they will be tested to see if they are still alive.