Planetary Protection Considerations For Missions to Solar System Small Bodies

The ultimate goal of planetary protection for outgoing missions is to stop harmful contamination that will inhibit future measurements designed to go looking for proof of the existence or evolution of extraterrestrial life.

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Preventing harmful contamination is achieved by following specific pointers supported existing knowledge domain concerning the destination and therefore the kind of mission. This report responds to NASA’s request for a study on planetary protection categorization of missions to tiny bodies, as well as whether or not there area unit specific populations of tiny bodies that contamination of 1 object within the population wouldn't be probably to possess a tangible result on the opportunities for scientific investigation victimisation alternative objects within the population.In addressing NASA’s request, the authoring committee thought-about surface composition of target bodies and their importance for prebiotic chemistry, at the side of size of the small-body populations, the present state of data on the kinds of objects, the probability of a future scientific mission returning to any specific object, active object surface processes, and therefore the size. Contributor(s): National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine; Division on Engineering and Physical Sciences; Division on Earth and Life Studies; area Studies Board; Board on Life Sciences; Committee on Planetary Protection