Planetary Protection Guidelines - PowerPoint Presentation

Slide1

Planetary Protection GuidelinesPolicy & REQUIREMENTS FOR CubeSats

Dr. Cassie Conley, James E. Johnson,

January 8, 2015Slide2

Planetary Protection Basics

Basic working definition - Mitigating the risks associated with microbial and organic cross-contamination,

including:

Preservation of

planetary conditions for future biological and organic constituent explorationConsidered ‘forward contamination’Protecting Earth and its biosphere from potential extraterrestrial sources of contaminationConsidered ‘backward contamination’Human-Assisted Sample Return includes another element:Protecting human crews from exposure to unknown life forms that may be hazardous

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Ocean Vent Communities:

110-360oC (230-660oF) water

1000s of meters depth

Sulfur-oxidizing Bacteria

No light input from the surface

Nobody thought worms could live at the bottom of the ocean!

Europa, too?

Life & Water…

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Bacteria in ice,

but...Slide4

Low temperature environments

Deep subsurface

-10 °C

Life is Everywhere…

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Up to 10

7

cells/g in 60m depth, with metabolic activity down to -20°C

Cryptoendoliths

Desulforudis

audaxviatorSlide5

…And life is on us…

Up to 10 000 microbes on 1 cm² of skinUp to 100 microbes on 1

mm²

of skin

Can

Earth life grow

on Mars?

Microbes on cheese also grow

in Mars chambers on Earth...

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Planetary Protection: Over 50 Years of International Effort

1956, Rome: International Astronautical Federation meets to discuss lunar and planetary contamination

Feb

. 1958: International Council for Science (ICSU) forms committee on Contamination by

ExtraTerrestrial Exploration (CETEX)June 1958: NAS establishes the SSBJuly 1958: Formation of NASAJuly 1958: Formation of UN-COPUOSOct. 1958: Formation of COSPAR by ICSU1959-1962: Publication of guidelines: US, USSR, COSPAR1963

: NASA acquires the first ‘Planetary Quarantine Officer’ – on loan from the Public Health Service

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International Framework for Planetary Protection

Planetary protection is an international commitment that is rooted in the United Nations Outer Space Treaty of 1967Treaty ratified by 102 countries (US ratified April 1967)

Article IX, UN Outer Space Treaty

“...parties to the Treaty shall pursue studies of outer space including the Moon and other celestial bodies, and conduct exploration of them so as to avoid their harmful contamination and also adverse changes in the environment of the Earth resulting from the introduction of extraterrestrial matter and, where necessary, shall adopt appropriate measures for this purpose...”COSPAR (Committee on Space Research) policy maintains and promulgates the internationally accepted approach to planetary protection on behalf of Article IX NASA planetary protection requirements are founded upon COSPAR policy

Planetary

Protection FACTS:

Policy applies to both robotic and human missions beyond Earth orbit

Policy revised over time to reflect latest understanding about life and

about solar

system bodiesPolicy applies to Government and non-governmental entities alike

The Moon and most Solar System Objects have no significant operational restrictions

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Minimize unintended consequences of human exploration...Slide8

NASA’s Implementation of Planetary Protection PolicyNASA’s commitment to Planetary Protection:

Biological Contamination Control for Outbound and Inbound Planetary Spacecraft (NASA Policy Directive: NPD 8020.7G)

Robotic implementation:

Planetary Protection Provisions for Robotic Extraterrestrial Missions

(NASA Procedural Requirements: NPR 8020.12D)Historical implementation from Rangers to Mars Science LaboratoryHuman implementation:Conducted under the Apollo program as “Planetary Quarantine”NASA Policy Instruction (NPI 8020.7) intends to show the path towards requirements for human missions and is in place as of 2014NASA requirements currently being developed…Human-assisted Sample

Return:

Falls

under current robotic implementation measures, with consideration of drafted human mission guidelines where applicable

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Planetary Protection Mission Constraints & Categorization

Depend on the nature of the mission

and

on the target planet

Assignment of categories for each specific mission/body is to take into account current scientific knowledge based on recommendations from scientific advisory groups

Examples of specific measures include:

Documentation of spacecraft trajectories, disposal, and spacecraft material inventory

Spacecraft organic archiving and restrictions

Constraints on spacecraft operating procedures

Reduction of spacecraft biological contamination

Restrictions on the handling of returned samples

W. Peet, 1967

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Planetary Protection Mission Categories

PLANET MISSION MISSION

PRIORITIES TYPE CATEGORY

A Not of direct interest for understanding the Any I

process of chemical evolution. No protection of such planets is warranted.

B

Of significant interest relative to the process of Any II

chemical evolution, but only a remote chance

that contamination by spacecraft could jeopardize

future exploration. Documentation is required.

C

Of significant interest relative to the process of Flyby, Orbiter III

chemical evolution and/or the origin of life or for

which scientific opinion provides a significant

chance of contamination which could Lander, Probe IV

jeopardize future biological experiments.

Substantial documentation and mitigation is required.

All Any Solar System Body Earth-Return

V

“

restricted

”

or

“

unrestricted

”

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Implementing Planetary ProtectionAll missions to Priority

B or C objects require documentation of mission trajectory and disposition of hardwareAll missions must ensure protection of Priority C solar system objects (Mars,

Europa

,

Enceladus, etc.)Reduce risk by considering potential constraints from the earliest stages of mission and hardware designPlanetary protection is a US treaty obligation, and cannot be waived...11Slide12

Overview of Categorization for Robotic and Human Missions

The planetary protection categorization dictates what requirements applyMission categorization is assigned by NASA’s Planetary Protection Officer (PPO) in consultation with

the Planetary Protection Subcommittee of the NAC to ensure requirements comply with policy and are sensibly

based upon the latest scientific knowledge

and use of evaluative and mitigating technologiesFor human and sample return missions – best to keep dialog and collaboration frequent!TENTATIVE CATEGORIES:12

Moon - Category II/V

In a nutshell, this means:

Documentation

Unrestricted

sample return

NEOs &

Phobos

/

Deimos

- Category II/

V

(MOSTLY)

In a nutshell, this means:

For NEOs – classification

depends

upon target NEO

For

Phobos

/

Deimos

– ESA/NASA study underway

Dialog with PPO

!

Mar/

sEuropa/Enceladus

- Category IV/V

In a nutshell, this means:

Documentation

Extensive

PP planning & implementation

Restricted

sample returnSlide13

Category I or II outbound, Category V Unrestricted Return

Genesis

Solar Wind Sample Return

• Returned Sep 8, 2004

Libration point trajectory

Launch July 2001

Flight system-deployedSlide14

Science class should not end in tragedy....

Science class should not end in tragedy....

Science class should not end in tragedy....

Science class should not end in tragedy....

Science class should not

The Basic Rationale for

Planetary Protection Precautions

(as written by Bart Simpson, Dec. 17, 2000, “Skinner’s Sense of Snow”)Slide15

Back-up/ReferenceSlide16

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