NASA plans to return a sample from Mars in the 2020s. However they have not yet started on the legal process to return such a sample safely. There are many laws that already exist that protect Earth’s biosphere. Previous sample return studies have shown that we need to build a sample receiving facility to prevent adverse changes to the environment of Earth from a sample return. This paper examines the timescale based on an end to end requirement, that NASA are required to know what it is they need to build before approving funds for the build. This will not be known until the end of the legal process.We find that it is not possible, with current laws and technology, to have a facility ready to receive unsterilized samples on this timescale. However we find that it is possible to sterilize the samples sufficiently for planetary protection requirements while preserving both astrobiological and geological interest. We also propose as an alternative to return the sample to an orbit in the Laplace plane above GEO, as optimal for protection of Earth, the Moon, and other satellites. This will not delay the geological studies as sterilized subsamples can be returned immediately, and it will permit study of unsterilized material in situ telerobotically. We also look at particular worst case scenarios, which have not been considered in detail before, such as the return of a mirror life blue-green algae, capable of living on Mars and almost anywhere on Earth. We suggest that it is a high priority to determine whether Martian life can be safely mixed into the terrestrial biosphere, and to learn what safety protocols are needed to return it safely. We find that there could be life on Mars that can never be mixed into Earth’s biosphere safely. Finding the answers to this should be a top priority for both scientists and space colonization enthusiasts as the future possibilities, and opportunities, that are open to us depend on whether there is life on Mars and what its nature is.
Planetary protection on international waters: An onboard protocol for capsule retrieval and biosafety control in sample return mission
