Traveling University presents: Limiting Contamination of Mars with Life from Earth When Human Explorers Arrive

Although international guidelines are in place to prevent the forward transfer of microorganisms from Earth to Mars during exploration by humans there is no regulatory authority. The US National Aeronautics and Space Administrations (NASA), the European Space Agency (ESA), and the China National Space Agency (CNSA) are likely to succeed in landing crewed spacecraft on Mars within the next 2 decades. NASA, ESA, and CNSA participate in the Committee on Space Research which develops and publishes international standards related to space exploration including future human exploration on Mars near surface locations with evidence of temperatures reaching above -25 0C (-13 0F) and having water available for biological reactions. These two conditions define Special Regions which are expected to be priority targets in the search for evidence of extraterrestrial life. The environmental challenge lies in collecting samples from Special Regions without the transfer of terrestrial microorganisms capable of survival and growth. Lisa Pratt, Professor Emerita of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, former NASA Planetary Protection Officer, and Co-Chair of the Committee on Planetary Protection for the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine, will help us understand whether the international race to explore with humans will override the scientific imperative to prevent irreversible forward contamination of Mars with life from Earth.