Review of the MEPAG Report on Mars Special Regions

Petra Rettberg; Alexandre Anesio; Victor Baker; John Baross; Sherry Cady; Christine Foreman; Ernst Hauber; Gian Ori; David Pearce; Nilton Renno; Gary Ruvkun; Birgit Sattler; Mark Saunders; Dirk Wagner; Frances Westall

Review of the MEPAG Report on Mars Special Regions

Petra Rettberg, Alexandre Anesio, Victor Baker, John Baross, Sherry Cady, Christine Foreman, Ernst Hauber, Gian Ori, David Pearce, Nilton Renno, Gary Ruvkun, Birgit Sattler, Mark Saunders, Dirk Wagner, Frances Westall

Applied Sciences Department

Research output: Book/Report › Commissioned report

Abstract

Planetary protection is a guiding principle in the design of an interplanetary mission, aiming to prevent biological contamination of both the target celestial body and the Earth. The protection of high-priority science goals, the search for life and the understanding of the Martian organic environment may be compromised if Earth microbes carried by spacecraft are grown and spread on Mars. This has led to the definition of Special Regions on Mars where strict planetary protection measures have to be applied before a spacecraft can enter these areas. At NASA's request, the community-based Mars Exploration Program Analysis Group (MEPAG) established the Special Regions Science Analysis Group (SR-SAG2) in October 2013 to examine the quantitative definition of a Special Region and proposed modifications to it, as necessary, based upon the latest scientific results. Review of the MEPAG Report on Mars Special Regions reviews the conclusions and recommendations contained in MEPAG's SR-SAG2 report and assesses their consistency with current understanding of both the Martian environment and the physical and chemical limits for the survival and propagation of microbial and other life on Earth. This report provides recommendations for an update of the planetary protection requirements for Mars Special Regions.

Original language	English
Publisher	National Academies Press
Publication status	Published - 2015

Cite this

@book{f893e32734e74134b5c668481588d9e7,

title = "Review of the MEPAG Report on Mars Special Regions",

abstract = "Planetary protection is a guiding principle in the design of an interplanetary mission, aiming to prevent biological contamination of both the target celestial body and the Earth. The protection of high-priority science goals, the search for life and the understanding of the Martian organic environment may be compromised if Earth microbes carried by spacecraft are grown and spread on Mars. This has led to the definition of Special Regions on Mars where strict planetary protection measures have to be applied before a spacecraft can enter these areas. At NASA's request, the community-based Mars Exploration Program Analysis Group (MEPAG) established the Special Regions Science Analysis Group (SR-SAG2) in October 2013 to examine the quantitative definition of a Special Region and proposed modifications to it, as necessary, based upon the latest scientific results. Review of the MEPAG Report on Mars Special Regions reviews the conclusions and recommendations contained in MEPAG's SR-SAG2 report and assesses their consistency with current understanding of both the Martian environment and the physical and chemical limits for the survival and propagation of microbial and other life on Earth. This report provides recommendations for an update of the planetary protection requirements for Mars Special Regions.",

author = "Petra Rettberg and Alexandre Anesio and Victor Baker and John Baross and Sherry Cady and Christine Foreman and Ernst Hauber and Gian Ori and David Pearce and Nilton Renno and Gary Ruvkun and Birgit Sattler and Mark Saunders and Dirk Wagner and Frances Westall",

year = "2015",

language = "English",

publisher = "National Academies Press",

}

TY - BOOK

T1 - Review of the MEPAG Report on Mars Special Regions

AU - Rettberg, Petra

AU - Anesio, Alexandre

AU - Baker, Victor

AU - Baross, John

AU - Cady, Sherry

AU - Foreman, Christine

AU - Hauber, Ernst

AU - Ori, Gian

AU - Pearce, David

AU - Renno, Nilton

AU - Ruvkun, Gary

AU - Sattler, Birgit

AU - Saunders, Mark

AU - Wagner, Dirk

AU - Westall, Frances

PY - 2015

Y1 - 2015

N2 - Planetary protection is a guiding principle in the design of an interplanetary mission, aiming to prevent biological contamination of both the target celestial body and the Earth. The protection of high-priority science goals, the search for life and the understanding of the Martian organic environment may be compromised if Earth microbes carried by spacecraft are grown and spread on Mars. This has led to the definition of Special Regions on Mars where strict planetary protection measures have to be applied before a spacecraft can enter these areas. At NASA's request, the community-based Mars Exploration Program Analysis Group (MEPAG) established the Special Regions Science Analysis Group (SR-SAG2) in October 2013 to examine the quantitative definition of a Special Region and proposed modifications to it, as necessary, based upon the latest scientific results. Review of the MEPAG Report on Mars Special Regions reviews the conclusions and recommendations contained in MEPAG's SR-SAG2 report and assesses their consistency with current understanding of both the Martian environment and the physical and chemical limits for the survival and propagation of microbial and other life on Earth. This report provides recommendations for an update of the planetary protection requirements for Mars Special Regions.

AB - Planetary protection is a guiding principle in the design of an interplanetary mission, aiming to prevent biological contamination of both the target celestial body and the Earth. The protection of high-priority science goals, the search for life and the understanding of the Martian organic environment may be compromised if Earth microbes carried by spacecraft are grown and spread on Mars. This has led to the definition of Special Regions on Mars where strict planetary protection measures have to be applied before a spacecraft can enter these areas. At NASA's request, the community-based Mars Exploration Program Analysis Group (MEPAG) established the Special Regions Science Analysis Group (SR-SAG2) in October 2013 to examine the quantitative definition of a Special Region and proposed modifications to it, as necessary, based upon the latest scientific results. Review of the MEPAG Report on Mars Special Regions reviews the conclusions and recommendations contained in MEPAG's SR-SAG2 report and assesses their consistency with current understanding of both the Martian environment and the physical and chemical limits for the survival and propagation of microbial and other life on Earth. This report provides recommendations for an update of the planetary protection requirements for Mars Special Regions.

M3 - Commissioned report

BT - Review of the MEPAG Report on Mars Special Regions

PB - National Academies Press

ER -

Review of the MEPAG Report on Mars Special Regions

Abstract

Fingerprint

Cite this