Contamination Control Technology Study for Achieving the Science Objectives of Life-Detection Missions Study Team: Chris McKay, NASA ARC, (650)604-6864,
[email protected] (submitting author) Alfonso Davila, NASA ARC,
[email protected] Jennifer Eigenbrode, NASA GSFC,
[email protected] Chris Lorentson, NASA GSFC,
[email protected] Rob Gold, JHU/APL,
[email protected] John Canham, Northrop Grumman/NASA GSFC,
[email protected] Anthony Dazzo, KBR Inc./NASA GSFC,
[email protected] Therese Errigo, NASA GSFC,
[email protected] Faith Kujawa, JHU/APL,
[email protected] Dave Kusnierkiewicz, JHU/APL,
[email protected] Charles Sandy, ILC Dover, crsandy @ilcdover.com Erich Schulze, JHU/APL, Erich.Schulze@jhuapl Antonios Seas, NASA GSFC
[email protected] Science Contamination Control Technology Study Summary: This white paper summaries technological advances in science-required contamination-control engineering for in situ and sample-return life-detection missions in the Solar System. Key study results are: 1) New spacecraft !arrier design that accommodates MMRT$s% is cleana!le% and is repaira!le. &) 'urge gas cleanliness of 1 part per trillion HC impurity limit is feasible. )) The !arrier reduces particle contamination *likely !iological) from fairing to spacecraft !y 1, -&-1,-). -) Spacecraft surfaces protected !y !arrier are 1,-&,. cleaner after launch than !efore launch. /) 0n-1ight !a+e-out of critical surfaces significantly reduced molecular contamination *!y 1,-3 to 1,-1&). 0mplementing a full spacecraft !arrier% collector cover and purge% and in-1ight cleaning steps will achieve cleanliness levels required of science instruments *down to femtomolar levels of !iomolecules).