[NASA] This handbook provides guidance to mission providers and Planetary Protection (PP) practitioners on implementing PP measures for both robotic and crewed space missions. This handbook represents major updates to […]
Biosafety
Posted inPlanetary Protection & Biosafety
COSPAR Panel On Planetary Protection Endorses Proposed Update To The Mars Planetary Protection Policy
Source: LinkedIn [COSPAR]. Yesterday, 29 September, the COSPAR Panel on Planetary Protection (PPP) at its Executive meeting endorsed a proposed update to the Mars planetary protection policy, following a year-long […]
Posted inPlanetary Protection & Biosafety
Planetary Protection Directive From NASA Administrator Isaacman
NASA Team – NASA aims to expand science across every world we visit, and human exploration of Mars in particular offers an enormous opportunity in the near future. Accordingly, our […]
Posted inPlanetary Protection & Biosafety
A Framework for Evaluating Forward Contamination Risk for Bio-ISRU Microorganisms
[astro-ph.IM]. NASA planetary protection policy seeks to avoid inadvertent forward contamination of celestial bodies and backward contamination of Earth during space exploration.
Posted inPlanetary Protection & Biosafety
Predicting Fungal Contaminants for Space Missions Using Proteome-Wide Screening for Protein Orthologs
[biorxiv.org]. Fungal contamination poses a growing threat to spacecraft integrity, crew health, and planetary protection efforts.
Posted inPlanetary Protection & Biosafety
NAS Committee On Planetary Protection Seeks Membership Suggestions
The National Academies are seeking suggestions for experts to be considered for membership or other engagement with the Committee on Planetary Protection (CoPP). Learn more and submit suggestions here by […]
Posted inMars, Missions & Hardware, Planetary Protection & Biosafety, Press Release, Reports, Roadmaps, & Plans, Sample Return
Mars Sample Return Campaign: Biological Risk And A Proposed Sample Safety Assessment Protocol
Returning surface samples from Mars to Earth has been a major planetary science objective, with the potential for the detection of microbiological life and the possibility of improving our understanding […]
Posted inBiophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Mars, Microbiology & Virology, Missions & Hardware, Planetary Protection & Biosafety, Press Release, Sample Return
How Resilient Fungus Might Survive Mars And Space
Scientists have long known that fungi are resilient, but a new study suggests that some strains might survive every step of the long, brutal trip to Mars.
Posted inExploration Gear & Tech, Meteorites & Asteroids, Missions & Hardware, Planetary Protection & Biosafety, Press Release, Sample Return
Contaminants, Including Ink, Detected In Meteorites Suggest Sample Preparation Needs Improving
Several contaminants, including traces of ink, originating in the preparation of subsamples, have been identified in Martian meteorites by the EHU’s research group. The finding highlights the importance of stricter […]
Posted inGenomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Microbiology & Virology, Missions & Hardware, Panspermia, Planetary Protection & Biosafety, Status Report
Seminar: The Rare Microbiome, Contamination and Planetary Protection
Pushing back the detection limits, technological advances are now allowing the detection and analysis of very low content DNA samples. A so far unseen diversity of microbes emerges sometimes filling […]