28 September 2020
String of underground lakes found under Mars' South Pole
... at the base of the SPLD [south polar layered deposits] therefore represent areas of potential astrobiological interest and planetary protection concern," write the team in their paper. "Future missions to Mars should target this region to acquire...
October 2017
Exploring Jupiter’s icy moons
... at the final orbit (500 km) is feasible. The spacecraft will eventually impact the surface, in line with planetary protection directives. Illustration of the JUICE spacecraft. It is important to note that the trajectory is continuously analysed and...
February 2022
Revolution and responsibility: the challenges of space
...remote sensing, etc.) and the exploration of the solar system (the sterilisation of probes and, more broadly, planetary protection). Tomorrow, it will be necessary to organise and govern the exploitation of space resources, in particular mining. This...
October 2018
The ethics of space exploration
... the unnecessarily gloomy idea that we need to become a multi-planetary civilization. This has been repeated so often that it appears,...report was back in 2000 – when space mining and planetary protection were not even mentioned. Next, it would be ...
August 2020
Revisiting the Drake Equation - a cultural addendum
... monitor electromagnetic radiation for signs of transmissions from civilizations on other planets. Lisa Pratt, NASA’s current Planetary Protection Officer, is concerned with forward contamination of another world with life from Earth and backward...
09 January 2021
Astrobiology. Current, Evolving and Emerging Perspectives
... fields and highlighting current and emerging topics. This includes an overview of astrobiology, biosignatures and planetary protection, as well as chapters on microbial life in impact craters, low-pressure environments and terrestrial analogue sites...
