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NASA Planetary Protection Officer blasts Mars Society President
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memo: article about Mars Society President Robert Zubrin

A Case for Caution
(in response to Contamination from Mars: No Threat)

by John D. Rummel
from the November/December 2000 Planetary Report

There are days when I ask myself, "Is it worth it?" After all, given the heightened awareness about Earth organisms and their newfound capabilities in extreme environments-to say nothing of the troubles that immune-compromised patients face with normally benign microbes-I figure the need for back contamination controls for missions to places possibly harboring life should be obvious. So I sometimes wonder if I, as Planetary Protection Officer, can really make a difference.

I want to thank Bob Zubrin for providing this week's job satisfaction. His opinion piece in the July/August 2000 issue of The Planetary Report was so off the mark that I found renewed joy in simply contemplating an answer.

Source: http://www.planetary.org/html/news/opinions/caution.html

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