Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-lj6df Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-13T06:42:15.786Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Biological contamination studies of lunar landing sites: implications for future planetary protection and life detection on the Moon and Mars

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  25 February 2005

D.P. Glavin ,
J.P. Dworkin ,
M. Lupisella ,
G. Kminek  and
J.D. Rummel
D.P. Glavin
Affiliation:
NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Code 915, 691 and 584, Greenbelt, MD 20771, USA e-mail: daniel.p.glavin@nasa.gov
J.P. Dworkin
Affiliation:
NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Code 915, 691 and 584, Greenbelt, MD 20771, USA e-mail: daniel.p.glavin@nasa.gov
M. Lupisella
Affiliation:
NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Code 915, 691 and 584, Greenbelt, MD 20771, USA e-mail: daniel.p.glavin@nasa.gov
G. Kminek
Affiliation:
European Space Agency, DG-X, Keplerlaan 1, 2200 AG Noordwijk, The Netherlands
J.D. Rummel
Affiliation:
NASA Headquarters, Science Mission Directorate, Washington DC 20546, USA
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Chemical and microbiological studies of the impact of terrestrial contamination of the lunar surface during the Apollo missions could provide valuable data to help refine future Mars surface exploration plans and planetary protection requirements for a human mission to Mars. NASA and ESA have outlined new visions for solar system exploration that will include a series of lunar robotic missions to prepare for and support a human return to the Moon, and future human exploration of Mars and other destinations. Under the Committee on Space Research's (COSPAR's) current planetary protection policy for the Moon, no decontamination procedures are required for outbound lunar spacecraft. Nonetheless, future in situ investigations of a variety of locations on the Moon by highly sensitive instruments designed to search for biologically derived organic compounds would help assess the contamination of the Moon by lunar spacecraft and Apollo astronauts. These studies could also provide valuable ‘ground truth’ data for Mars sample return missions and help define planetary protection requirements for future Mars bound spacecraft carrying life detection experiments.

Keywords

Apollobiological contaminationbiomarkersLunaMarsMoonorganic contaminationplanetary protectionRangerspacecraft sterilization
Type
Research Article
Information
International Journal of Astrobiology , Volume 3 , Issue 3 , July 2004 , pp. 265 - 271
Copyright
2004 Cambridge University Press

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)