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PLANETARY PROTECTION: EVALUATION OF BIOBURDEN REQUIREMENTS FOR MARS MISSIONS (Natl Acad), Oct 7, 2021, virtual, 2:00 pm ET
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The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine will hold a webinar on October 7, 2021 from 2:00-3:00 pm ET to present the findings and conclusions of its Committee on Planetary Protection’s evaluation of the bioburden requirements for Mars missions.
More information is on the event’s website, which says:
Could some areas on Mars be subject to less stringent requirements for biological contamination? Join us to discuss our new report on 10/7.
About this event
Missions to the surface of Mars are required to meet strict planetary protection requirements to reduce the amount of biological contamination transported from Earth to Mars (or from Mars back to Earth). These policies are important to preserving the integrity of experiments searching for life on other planets.
However, with a growing number of missions to Mars, including potential human missions, it is important to consider whether some planetary exploration activities could pose less of a contamination risk to these pristine sites. At the request of NASA, a new report from the National Academies identifies criteria for determining whether missions to certain areas of Mars could be subject to less stringent bioburden requirements.
Learn more by joining us for a public briefing webinar on Thursday, October 7, 2021 from 2-3pm ET. During the webinar, members of the committee will discuss their findings and conclusions, and take questions from the audience.