PRESS RELEASE

Contributing to the International Planetary Protection Policy for Martian Moon Exploration

 

Authors

Fujita, K., K. Kurosawa, H. Genda, R. Hyodo, S. Matsuyama, A. Yamagishi, T. Mikouchi, and T.Niihara

Abstract
Contributing to the International Planetary Protection Policy for Martian Moon Exploration
– A Japanese research team has played a leading role in setting a new international rule for planetary protection during Martian moon exploration by assessing the probability for microbial contamination of the Martian moons from Mars ejecta –

The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), Chiba Institute of Technology, Tokyo Institute of Technology, The University of Tokyo, and Tokyo University of Pharmacy Life Sciences jointly conducted scientific research that assessed the microbial contamination of the Martian moons. A report on this research was accepted by the Panel on Planetary Protection (PPP) for the Committee on Space Research (COSPAR) and was approved as a recommendation to JAXA's Martian Moons eXploration (MMX) mission by the 89th COSPAR Bureau held in March 2019. This achievement is Japan's contribution to the international Planetary Protection Policy maintained by COSPAR.
The research results (2 peer-reviewed papers) were published in the electronic version of Life Sciences in Space Research on July 10th and 17th, 2019.

 

 

Press Release: PDF file

Life Sciences in Space Research:
"Assessment of the probability of microbial contamination for sample return from Martian moons I: Departure of microbes from Martian surface"
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214552419300288

"Assessment of the probability of microbial contamination for sample return from Martian moons II: The fate of microbes on Martian moons"
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214552419300276

JAXA: https://global.jaxa.jp/press/2019/09/20190906b.html