Mars Sample Return and Biocontainment

In its continuing exploration of the solar system, NASA currently has plans to launch a sample return mission to Mars as early as 2005. The design of such a mission will utilize a variety of contamination control measures, both on the outbound flight to Mars and during the return to Earth of the spacecraft and sample return canister. Biocontainment and quarantine will most certainly be required at a receiving facility where a comprehensive battery of tests will be done to determine if any living, replicating entities are included in the samples and whether the returned materials are harmful in any way to Earth's biota or ecosystems. The task of developing hardware, facilities, laboratory protocols, operations plans and certification standards for extraterrestrial materials will require input from many disciplines, including biosafety and public health experts. By combining basic principles of biocontainment with information about the nature and capabilities of microorganisms, a preliminary protocol has been developed for handling, containing and testing extraterrestrial samples. Plans for biocontainment facilities, quarantine and testing methods for Mars sample return missions will also be important in planning future extraterrestrial sample returns from comets, moons and asteroids which also have the potential for harboring life.