Planetary Protection
Laboratory activities and protocols development
Planetary protection is the name of all the activities and protocols operated in a space mission in order to prevent forward contamination of astrobiology relevant target (Mars, Europa, Enceladus…) and backward contamination of Earth with possible extraterrestrial life during sample return mission. Main procedures and topics are:
Sterilization and cleaning of instruments on-board mission to sensible target
Design of sample return curation facility for analysis and management of extraterrestrial material
Development of protocols, procedures and methods
ExoMars space missions
The team performed cleaning procedures for two instrument on-board both ExoMars missions. The activity focused in development of white chamber and cleanness analysis for assembling and testing phase of the instruments. The two instruments are:
DREAMS (ExoMars 2016) Dust Characterisation, Risk Assessment, and Environment Analyser on the Martian Surface
MicroMED (ExoMars 2020) Atmospheric dust sensor part of the payload Dust
European Curation of Astromaterials Returned from Exploration of Space
Team members were involved in EURO-CARES, a three years multinational and multidisciplinary project focused on development and design an European sample curation facility in Horizon2020 research program. Every side of building an european facility were taken in account from the plan for the building up to the protocols for transportation of the samples.
Website: www.euro-cares.eu
Planetary Protection of Outer Solar System
Our laboratory is involved in PPOSS, a platform and forum where European actors involved in planetary protection can discuss and produce policy recommendations on the matter of planetary protection.
The project tackles the science, technology and policy making components related to biological and organic contamination of outer solar system bodies, in particular icy moons. Intensive three year programme combines science, industry and policy actors to nurture and catalyse discussions and exchange of knowledge.
Website: http://pposs.org/