NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS) 19920024503: Biological Contamination of Mars: Issues and Recommendations

126 Pages·4.5 MB·English

by  NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

BIOLOGICAL
CONTAMINATION OF
MARS
ISSUES AND
RECOMMENDATIONS
Task Group on Planetary Protection
Space Studies Board
Commission on Physical Sciences, Mathematics, and Applications
National Research Council
NATIONAL ACADEMY PRESS
Washington, D.C. 1992
NOTICE: The project that is the subject of this report was approved by the Governing Board
of the National Research Council, whose members are drawn from the councils of the National
Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, and the Institute of Medicine.
The members of the committee responsible for the report were chosen for lheir special competences
and with regard for appropriate balance.
This report has been reviewed by a group other than the authors according to procedures
approved by a Report Review Committee consisting of members of the National Academy of
Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, and the Institute of Medicine.
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Support for this project was provided by Contract NASW 4627 between the National
Academy of Sciences and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.
Cover: This Viking Orbiter image, 200 kilometers across, shows water-worn, branching
valley networks in the cratered uplands of Mars. These valleys are the main evidence for a
warm wet climate on early Mars. (Photograph courtesy of NASA.)
Copies of this report are available from
Space Studies Board
National Research Council
2101 Constitution Avenue, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20418
Printed in the United States of America
TASK GROUP ON PLANETARY PROTECTION
KENNETH H. NEALSON, University of Wisconsin, Chairman
JOHN BAROSS, University of Washington
MICHAEL CARR, U.S. Geological Survey
ROBERT PEPIN, University of Minnesota
THOMAS SCHMIDT, Miami University
JODI SHANN, University of Cincinnati
J. ROBIE VESTAL, University of Cincinnati
DAVID WHITE, Oak Ridge National Laboratory
RICHARD YOUNG, Consultant, Kennedy Space Center
Space Studies Board Liaison Members
LOUIS J. LANZEROTTI, AT&T Bell Laboratories
JAMES P. FERRIS, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Committee on Planetary and Lunar" Exploration Liaison Members
LARRY ESPOSITO, University of Colorado
NORMAN PACE, Indiana University
Space Studies Board Staff
JOYCE M. PURCELL, Executive Secretary
BOYCE N. AGNEW, Administrative Secretary
CARMELA J. CHAMBERLAIN, Administrative Secretary
MELANIE M. GREEN, Administrative Secretary
iii
SPACE STUDIES BOARD
LOUIS J. LANZEROTTI, AT&T Bell Laboratories, Chairman
JOSEPH A. BURNS, Cornell University
ANDREA K. DUPREE, Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics
JOHN A. DUTTON, Pennsylvania State University
LARRY ESPOSITO, University of Colorado
JAMES P. FERRIS, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
HERBERT FRIEDMAN, Naval Research Laboratory
RICHARD L. GARWIN, IBM T.J. Watson Research Center
RICCARDO GIACCONI, Space Telescope Science Institute
NOEL W. HINNERS, Martin Marietta Civil Space and Communications
Company
DAVID A. LANDGREBE, Purdue University
ROBERT A. LAUDISE, AT&T Bell Laboratories
RICHARD S. LINDZEN, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
JOHN H. McELROY, University of Texas at Arlington
WILLIAM J. MERRELL, Texas A&M University
RICHARD K. MOORE, University of Kansas
ROBERT H. MOSER, University of New Mexico
NORMAN F. NESS, University of Delaware
MARCIA NEUGEBAUER, Jet Propulsion Laboratory
MARK SETTLE, ARCO Oil Company
WILLIAM A. SIRIGNANO, University of California at Irvine
FRED TUREK, Northwestern University
ARTHUR B.C. WALKER, Stanford University
MARC S. ALLEN, Director
iv
COMMISSION ON PHYSICAL SCIENCES, MATHEMATICS,
AND APPLICATIONS
NORMAN HACKERMAN, Robert A. Welch Foundation, Chairman
PETER J. BICKEL, University of California at Berkeley
GEORGE F. CARRIER, Harvard University
GEORGE W. CLARK, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
DEAN E. EASTMAN, IBM T.J. Watson Research Center
MARYE ANNE FOX, University of Texas
PHILLIP A. GRIFFITHS, Institute for Advanced Study
NEAL F. LANE, Rice University
ROBERT W. LUCKY, AT&T Bell Laboratories
CLAIRE E. MAX, Lawrence Livermore Laboratory
CHRISTOPHER F. McKEE, University of California at Berkeley
JAMES W. MITCHELL, AT&T Bell Laboratories
RICHARD S. NICHOLSON, American Association for the Advancement of
Science
ALAN SCHRIESHEIM, Argonne NationaTLaboratory
KENNETH G. WILSON, Ohio State University
NORMAN METZGER, Executive Director

Contents
SUMMARY AND RECOMMENDATIONS 1
1 INTRODUCTION 13
References, 17
2 SUMMARY OF PLANNED FUTURE MISSIONS 18
Approved Missions, 18
U.S. Mars Observer Mission, 18
Soviet Mars 94/96 Mission, 19
Contemplated Missions, 20
U.S. MESUR Mission, 20
ESA Marsnet Mission, 21
Sample Return and Rover Missions, 21
References, 22
3 SURFACE ENVIRONMENT OF MARS 23
Surface Chemistry, 23
Ultraviolet and Ionizing Radiation, 25
Temperature, 26
Water, 26
Volcanism, 27
Former Climatic Conditions on Mars, 28
References, 28
vii
PRECEDING PAGE BLANK NOT FILMED
_ISIL----=_"_INrENTIONAL_tL_A,,_
viii CONTENTS
4 LIMITS OF LIFE ON EARTH: EXPANSION OF THE
MICROBIAL WORLD AND DETECTION OF LIFE 3O
Extreme Thermophiles and Volcanic Environments, 31
Life in Extreme Environments, 33
Dormant Forms of Life, 33
Deep-Subsurface Microbes, 33
Radiation-Resistant Bacteria, 36
Life Detection for Planetary Protection (Including Bioburden
Determination), 36
Viable But Nonculturable Organisms, 37
Epifluorescence Microscopy, 37
Lipids as Biomarkers, 38
Nucleic Acids as Biomarkers, 39
Detection of Spore-forming Bacteria, 39
Detection of Chirality as an Indicator of Bioprocesses, 40
References, 40
ASSESSMENT OF THE 1978 REPORT 43
Review, 43
Recommendations of the Task Group, 45
Forward Contamination, 45
Back Contamination, 49
Scientific Issues--Summary Statement, 49
References, 50
ADDITIONAL RECOMMENDATIONS 51
Recommendations for Research, 51
Collection of Essential Data, 52
Assessment of Spacecraft Bioload, 54
Recommendations Concerning Other Issues, 54
Piloted Versus Unpiloted Missions, 54
Societal and Legal Issues, 55
References, 56
APPENDIXES
A Correspondence Documenting Start of Task 59
B Biographical Sketches of Task Group Members 66
C Space Studies Board Planetary Protection Workshop 70
D Excerpts from the 1978 Report 82
E Additional Related Information 103
BIOLOGICAL
CONTAMINATION OF
MARS
ISSUES AND
RECOMMENDATIONS