Astronomy & Space Science · Astrobiology
A topic within Astrobiology, itself one of 9 topics in that field and part of Astronomy & Space Science.
3 works
Carl Sagan
Warns years before any Moon landing that an unsterilised spacecraft could carry Earth microbes to the Moon and back, and that this would ruin the ability to ever answer whether the Moon had life of its own.
link checked 17 Sept 2026National Research Council
Sets out which regions and mission types on Mars require the strictest sterilisation protocols, arguing planetary protection policy should track where liquid water could plausibly exist rather than apply one rule everywhere.
link checked 17 Sept 2026Fairén et al.
Argues current planetary protection rules are calibrated to a worst case with no real evidence behind it, and proposes redefining Mars 'special regions' and using smaller, easier-to-sterilise landers instead of continuing to let the rules stall the search for life.
link checked 17 Sept 2026