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 ContentsFront MatterSummary1 Introduction2 Historical Context3 Summary and Assessment of the Current Process4 Policy Development Process Beyond NASA5 Planetary Protection Challenges from the Human Exploration ofMars6 The Private Sector and Planetary Protection Policy Development7 A NASA Planetary Protection Strategic PlanAppendix A: Letter Requesting This StudyAppendix B: Mars Special Regions: A Case Study in the Evolution ofPlanetary Protection PoliciesAppendix C: NASA's Standard Program and Project Management andSystems Engineering PracticesAppendix D: NASA's Planetary Protection Research ProgramAppendix E: Orbital Debris Mitigation Guidelines: A Model forInternational Collaboration and Consensus BuildingAppendix F: Biographies of Committee Members and StaffAppendix G: AcronymsAppendix H: Interagency Deliberations Concerning Initial Launch ofthe Falcon 9 Heavy