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This illustration shows how NASA’s Mars Ascension Vehicle, carrying tubes containing rock and soil samples, could be launched from the surface of Mars in a one-step Mars Sample Return Mission . Credit: NASA / JPL-Caltech
The National Planetary Protection Strategy reflects the critical importance of planetary protection for the future of space science, exploration, and life on Earth. Planetary protection refers to the policy and practice of protecting future scientific investigations by limiting the biological contamination of other planetary bodies through exploration activities and by protecting the Earth’s biosphere by avoiding harmful biological contamination by the return of spaceships.
Mitigating the risk of harmful biological contamination of Earth (referred to as “backward contamination”) and other planetary bodies (referred to as “forward contamination”) promotes a safe, sustainable and predictable earth and space environment. New missions on the Moon, March, and other destinations are underway or planned by NASA, other national space programs around the world and the private sector. While samples from the Moon on Earth have been deemed non-hazardous and their return to Earth has been unlimited since 1971, public and private entities are considering missions that would collect and return samples from other planetary bodies that have not been also studied so thoroughly.
Considering the emergence of new efforts to explore and use the solar system, this strategy provides guidance for meeting various challenges and managing any potential risk of biological contamination associated with space exploration. Accordingly, this strategy balances the interests of the United States in promoting scientific discovery, human exploration, and the growth of private sector space activities, all with due regard to public safety and applicable obligations. . The United States intends to remain a leader in developing internationally accepted policies and practices for planetary protection.
The national planetary protection strategy is an important stage of implementation within the framework of the national space policy 2020; in particular, “the development of national and international guidelines on planetary protection, in collaboration with scientific and commercial partners, for the appropriate protection of planetary bodies and the Earth against harmful biological contamination”. responsibilities, provide authorization and continuous monitoring of private space activities, maintain international leadership and encourage the development of innovative technologies and processes that reduce the costs of planetary protection.
The strategy defines three overarching objectives corresponding to downstream contamination, upstream contamination and private sector coordination:
Objective 1: Avoid harmful direct contamination by developing and implementing risk assessment and scientific guidance and updating the inter-agency payload review process.
Objective 2: Avoid backward contamination by developing a restricted return program to protect against adverse effects on the Earth environment due to the potential return of extraterrestrial life.
Objective 3: Integrate the perspective and needs of the private sector by soliciting comments and developing guidelines for private sector activities with potential implications for planetary protection.
Efforts to achieve these goals and to develop the national planetary protection action plan will be coordinated by the staff of the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) and the National Space Council (NSpC), in close collaboration. with relevant federal departments and agencies, to ensure continued leadership by the United States in safe and responsible scientific discovery, human exploration, and private sector space activities.
Reference: “National Strategy for Planetary Protection” by the White House National Space Council, December 2020.
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