Review and Assessment of Planetary Protection Policy Development Processes

Protecting Earth's environment and other solar system bodies from harmful contamination has been an important principle throughout the history of space exploration. For decades, the scientific, political, and economic conditions of space exploration converged in ways that contributed to effective development and implementation of planetary protection policies at national and international levels. However, the future of space exploration faces serious challenges to the development and implementation of planetary protection policy. The most disruptive changes are associated with (1) sample return from, and human missions to, Mars; and (2) missions to those bodies in the outer solar system possessing water oceans beneath their icy surfaces. Review and Assessment of Planetary Protection Policy Development Processes addresses the implications of changes in the complexion of solar system exploration as they apply to the process of developing planetary protection policy. Specifically, this report examines the history of planetary protection policy, assesses the current policy development process, and recommends actions to improve the policy development process in the future. Table of Contents Front Matter Summary 1 Introduction 2 Historical Context 3 Summary and Assessment of the Current Process 4 Policy Development Process Beyond NASA 5 Planetary Protection Challenges from the Human Exploration of Mars 6 The Private Sector and Planetary Protection Policy Development 7 A NASA Planetary Protection Strategic Plan Appendix A: Letter Requesting This Study Appendix B: Mars Special Regions: A Case Study in the Evolution of Planetary Protection Policies Appendix C: NASA's Standard Program and Project Management and Systems Engineering Practices Appendix D: NASA's Planetary Protection Research Program Appendix E: Orbital Debris Mitigation Guidelines: A Model for International Collaboration and Consensus Building Appendix F: Biographies of Committee Members and Staff Appendix G: Acronyms Appendix H: Interagency Deliberations Concerning Initial Launch of the Falcon 9 Heavy