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4 Formulating Mitigation Approaches for Protection from Organic and Biological Contamination of Permanently Shadowed Regions
Pages 27-30

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From page 27... ... Should certain areas on the Moon be preserved against confounding contamination to protect future astrobiologically oriented scientific studies? Although there is potential for deleterious impact on volatiles-science from human and robotic activities in the lunar polar regions, science objectives relating to volatiles are just one important component of a broad continuum of fundamental scientific advances that are envisioned for a sustained human lunar presence, which also include objectives of advancing astrophysics, heliophysics, fundamental physics, geophysics, geology, and economic geology. Read the entire page →
From page 28... ... that studies to identify those high-priority investigations that are susceptible to confoundment by contamination at the top surface layer of lunar geology, especially organic volatiles released during propulsive landings or vented from human landers and habitats, would help to formulate a robust policy and potential mitigation approaches. However, until those studies are performed, securing a credible answer to the final item in the committee's charge -- that is, an assessment of regions of the Moon's surface and subsurface that warrant protection from organic and biological contamination because of their scientific value -- is not feasible. Read the entire page →
From page 29... ... A conservative approach to planetary protection for near-term missions is to continue adhering to COSPAR's current guidance until pertinent, initial, in situ science missions can be conducted to better understand the nature of both the surficial and buried volatiles at the poles. The COSPAR guidelines do not distinguish between combustion byproducts that recent studies indicate can be globally dispersed within hours of landing and solid organic materials that are expected to release volatiles only locally and over much longer timescales. Read the entire page →

From page 27...

... Should certain areas on the Moon be preserved against confounding contamination to protect future astrobiologically oriented scientific studies? Although there is potential for deleterious impact on volatiles-science from human and robotic activities in the lunar polar regions, science objectives relating to volatiles are just one important component of a broad continuum of fundamental scientific advances that are envisioned for a sustained human lunar presence, which also include objectives of advancing astrophysics, heliophysics, fundamental physics, geophysics, geology, and economic geology.

Read the entire page →

From page 28...

... that studies to identify those high-priority investigations that are susceptible to confoundment by contamination at the top surface layer of lunar geology, especially organic volatiles released during propulsive landings or vented from human landers and habitats, would help to formulate a robust policy and potential mitigation approaches. However, until those studies are performed, securing a credible answer to the final item in the committee's charge -- that is, an assessment of regions of the Moon's surface and subsurface that warrant protection from organic and biological contamination because of their scientific value -- is not feasible.

Read the entire page →

From page 29...

... A conservative approach to planetary protection for near-term missions is to continue adhering to COSPAR's current guidance until pertinent, initial, in situ science missions can be conducted to better understand the nature of both the surficial and buried volatiles at the poles. The COSPAR guidelines do not distinguish between combustion byproducts that recent studies indicate can be globally dispersed within hours of landing and solid organic materials that are expected to release volatiles only locally and over much longer timescales.

Read the entire page →

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4 Formulating Mitigation Approaches for Protection from Organic and Biological Contamination of Permanently Shadowed Regions Pages 27-30

4 Formulating Mitigation Approaches for Protection from Organic and Biological Contamination of Permanently Shadowed Regions
Pages 27-30