International Committee Against Mars Sample Return (ICAMSR)

Cylinder · #1 (**permalink**) 15-June-2005, 03:01 PM

International Committee Against Mars Sample Return

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On Earth, we know that dust carries bacteria, lots of it. NASA is aware of this fact whenever they put space probe hardware together in their dust limited vehicle assembly buildings at KSC. This is to limit terrestrial contamination of Mars and other solar system bodies.

Mars is a very dusty planet. No doubt, when the MSR ascent vehicle and sample return capsule leave the surface of Mars, dust will probably be adhering to the exterior surfaces of these spacecraft. Ferric oxide is one of the suspected components of Martian dust and a Martian organism imbedded in such a dust particle could be shielded from ultraviolet light and survive the journey back to Earth in a lyophilized (freeze dried) state.3 Once free in Earth’s biosphere, the dust/bacteria clumps could be transported about the planet.

It has been argued that the tremendous heating of the exterior of the Passive Earth-Entry sample return canister during atmospheric reentry would completely sterilize the outer surfaces. However, any rough surface areas such as screw holes, dents, or other such microbial hiding places, might offer limited protection for a fleck of Martian dust with an organism attached. All things must be considered.

According to Dr. Carl Sagan, "one terrestrial microorganism reproducing as slowly as once a month on Mars, without other ecological limitations, in less than a decade would result in a microbial population of the Martian soil comparable to Earth"4. What if the reverse is true of a single Martian microorganism that could reproduce on the Earth?

Because of the unknown nature of any toxins or pathogenic viruses/bacteria which Martian soil could contain, absolute certainty regarding the protection of Earth’s fragile biosphere must be enforced by demanding that all solar system samples be examined in space before being committed to the biosphere of the Earth.

Quote:

The ultimate goal of the ICAMSR will be to lobby Congress, the United Nations, and environmental groups that solar system sample missions using the Passive Earth-Entry concept be cancelled. ICAMSR will only support planetary/cometary life sciences missions that obtain in-situ information before materials are transferred to the vicinity of the Earth.

I am fairly certain that is actually the current plan. Tons of scare tactics on that site. Wow.

EYE-CAM-SIR??? EYE-CANCER? Hrmm...

ToSeek · #2 (**permalink**) 15-June-2005, 04:46 PM

Quote:

On Earth, we know that dust carries bacteria, lots of it. NASA is aware of this fact whenever they put space probe hardware together in their dust limited vehicle assembly buildings at KSC. This is to limit terrestrial contamination of Mars and other solar system bodies.

Actually, it's more because dust does nasty things to spacecraft microelectronics, which is why all spacecraft are assembled in clean rooms, not just ones headed for other planets.

And the hardware generally isn't assembled at KSC; it's assembled at sites elsewhere and then shipped to KSC to be mated to the launch vehicle.

This dubious grasp of the facts doesn't inspire confidence.

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