Raoul,

Also:

Preventing the Forward Contamination of Mars

An ad hoc study committee will be formed to examine the results of recent research on extremophiles on Earth and of recent space missions to Mars and will provide a revision of the 1992 guidelines on preventing the forward contamination of Mars. The study committee will address the following tasks:

1. Assess and recommend levels of cleanliness and sterilization required to prevent the forward contamination of Mars by future spacecraft missions (orbiters, atmospheric missions, landers, penetrators, and drills), given current understanding of the martian environment and of terrestrial microorganisms in extreme environments. The committee's recommendations should take into account the full spectrum of environments on, above, and under present-day Mars, and the various methods that spaceflight missions may use to access them;
2. Review methods used to achieve and measure the appropriate level of cleanliness and sterilization for Mars spacecraft and recommend alternatives in light of recent advancements in science and technology; and
3. Identify scientific investigations that should be accomplished to reduce the uncertainty in the above assessments.

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