“Sticky little devils” … improving planetary protection forward decontamination strategies –studies on the spore resistance to low-pressure plasma sterilization & persistence on metalliccopper surfaces
2016
Microbial contamination arising from spacecraft exploration harbors the distinct potential to
impact the development and integrity of life-detection missions on planetary bodies such as Mars and
Europa. Such missions are subjected to strict regulations. In the context of the planetary protection
guidelines, established by the Committee of Space Research (COSPAR) in 1967, it is essential to
reduce or eliminate the biological burden on flight hardware prior to launch in order to prevent cross
contamination of celestial bodies with environmental or human-associated microorganisms.
Depending on type of mission and planetary body, specific planetary protection guidelines are
required to clean and sterilize a spacecraft or its components to avoid contamination from terrestrial
organisms. The search for extraterrestrial life will rely heavily on validated cleaning and bioreduction
strategies to ensure that terrestrial microbial contamination does not compromise the scientific
integrity of such missions.
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