Planetary Protection Knowledge Gaps and Enabling Science for Human Mars Missions J Andy Spry (SETI Institute) 818-414-2471, [email protected] July 1!, 2"2" Co-aut$ors%re&ie'ers 'it$ respe(tive institutions) *ette Siegel (NASA ,-). /er$ard 01ine2 (ESA). #orien *a2ermans (3enn State Univ). J Nic2 *enardini (J35%Calte($). Est$er *eltran (Univ Central 6lorida). 7osa 8a *ona((orsi (SETI Institute). Jo$n Can$am (Nort$rop /rumman). Marie-#$ristine :esjean (#+ES 6ran(e) 3eter Doran (5ouisiana State Univ). Jo$n E ,allswort$ (-ueen’s Univ *e =ast). Ja&ier Martin-Torres (4niv A8erdeen). Jill Miku(2i (Univ. Tennessee). Tullis >nstott (3rin(eton). /eorge 3ro?tiliotis (National Te($nical Univ o= At$ens). Aaron Reg8erg (NASA JSC). 3etra Rett8erg (:5R Cologne). Jo$n Rummel (6riday Har8or 3artners 55C). 0e&in Sato (+ASA A1es). Andrew S($uerger (Univ 6lorida). Nitin Sing$ (J35%Calte($). Carol Sto2er (+ASA A1es). 0ast$uri @en2ateswaran (J35%Calte($). Ro8ert Aimmerman (Sy18iote2 Systems). Maria-3aB AorBano (INTA Spain) Cosigners (21 at t$e time o= su8mittal) (an add t$eir endorsements o= t$is C$ite 3aper at) $ttps)%%do(s.google.(o1%spreads$eets%d%114DDASDWHS(jyEIyg1'D3/ 868=1S2t5NetoSFwE7GH% editIgidJ" 1. Rationale In t$e (oming de(ade, as we prepare =or t$e ?rst mission to Mars wit$ a $uman (rew, we $a&e a (ontinuing o8 igation to prote(t t$e integrity o= s(ientifi( in&estigations at Mars. In particular, it is un ikely t$at t$e sear($ =or life on Mars will 8e (o1pleted 8y t$e time t$e ?rst (rew systems arrive at t$e 1artian sur=a(e. Indeed, some (onsider t$e presen(e o= astronauts to 8e an essential augmentation to t$e ro8otic sear($ =or e&iden(e o= life on t$e red planet. In addition, t$e en&ironment o= t$e Eart$ needs to 8e prote(ted =rom t$e t$reat posed 8y t$e un(ontro ed re ease o= a putative martian life =orm into t$e terrestrial 8iosp$ere. 3re&ention o= su($ $ar1=ul (ross- (ontaminations 8etween Mars and t$e Eart$ is t$e pra(tice o= p anetary prote(tion. At present, t$e 2nowledge o= $ow to a($ie&e t$ese two goals (pre&ention o= =orward (onta1ination =rom Eart$ and 8a(2ward (ontamination =rom Mars) is we l des(ribed =or ro8otic systems. In (ontrast, =or $uman 1issions t$ere are only guidelines (0mine2 et al. 2"17a) 8ut no engineering reKuire1ents, in part, 8e(ause our 2nowledge o= 9ars (and o= $ow (ontamination =rom (rewed systems will intera(t wit$ Mars) is in(o1plete. T$ese gaps in our 2nowledge (as also des(ribed in NASA NID871!.12L) need to 8e addressed t$roug$ a(Kuisition o= new data during t$e neMt de(ade, if planetary prote(tion measures are to 8e imp emented su((ess=ully =or $u1an missions. T$is paper des(ri8es t$e te($nical issues and measurements needed. 2. Approach Sin(e 2"1!, t$e topic o= planetary prote(tion 2no'ledge gaps (0/s) =or $uman missions $as 8een systematically addressed during a series o= wor2s$ops (e.g., Ra(e et al., 2"1L), (urrently 8eing $e d under t$e #>S3AR 8anner. T$e international multidis(iplinary group o= s(ientists and engineers in&o &ed in t$is a(tivity $a&e generated and re?ned a set o= 0/s, and grouped t$em into t$ree study areas) 1) natural transport o= (ontamination on Mars. 2) micro8ial and $u1an $ealt$ monitoring, and. E) te($nology and operations =or (ontamination (ontrol. # osure o= t$ese 0/s wou d ead to an end-to-end 2no'ledge-8ased solution =or setting planetary prote(tion reKuirements and de&eloping imple1entation pro(edures =or $u1an missions. T$e group $as per=or1ed assessments o= t$e 1easure1ents and data needed to ( ose ea($ o= t$e 0/s, toget$er wit$ an identifi(ation o= o(ations%destinations and instruments needed =or 1a2ing t$ose measurements. 3. Planetary Protection Knowledge Gaps 3.1 Natural Transport of Contamination on Mars 3.1.1 Surface/Atmospheric Transport T$e aerial transportation o= terrestrial organisms in t$e martian atmosp$ere (ould 8ring t$em to a NSpe(ia RegionO1 (Rummel et al., 2"14) e&en if a (rewed spa(e(ra=t lands at a distant Nnon-spe(ia O o(ation. Understanding t$e possibility o= aerial transportation o= terrestrial organisms on Mars is t$ere=ore o= paramount (on(ern. Alt$oug$ atmosp$eric modeling implies t$e (onsideration o= a nu18er o= un(ertainties, we $a&e a good 2nowledge o= atmosp$eric dyna1ics on Mars, and ow-?de ity model estimates (an 8e generated =or t$e general (ase at a (oarse s(ale. T$e sur=a(e o8ser&ations o= t$e Mars S(ien(e 5a8oratory Curiosity ro&er, s$ow t$at t$e typical air8orne dust aerosol size on Mars is o= t$e order o= 1-2Pm in radius, eM(ept during t$e onset o= g o8al dust storms, '$en dust radii Kuic2ly eM(eeded EPm, rea($ing 1aMimal sizes o= 8Pm eQe(tive radius (5emmon et al., 2"1L). :uring su($ a g o8al storm, t$e typical aerosol size in suspension (an 8e greater t$an EPm =or around G" martian sols, '$ile t$e atmosp$ere (lears 8y deposition o= t$e larger partic es and only t$e 1 A Specia 7egion is defined as a natura y occurring environ1ent on 9ars t$at is considered $a8ita8 e =or Eart$ 1icroorganisms 8ased on te1perature (>-28°#) and 'ater activity (R".!) para1eters. 1 smallest dust remains in suspension. I= individual spores are lifted 8y winds and transported t$roug$ t$e atmosp$ere, t$ey will 8e eMposed to a $ig$ 4@ Suen(e during t$e time o= Sig$t. A layer o= 8Pm o= mineral dust (an s(reen only 2"T o= t$e in(ident 4@ radiation (MuUoB Caro et al., 2""G), $owe&er t$e opa(ity o= t$e atmosp$ere during su($ a storm is so redu(ed t$at t$e 4@ Suen(e (an de(line 8y a =a(tor o= V1""". A (redi8le s(enario =rom a planetary prote(tion point o= &iew (ould 8e an e&ent '$en 'inds are strong enoug$ to ift-oQ larger sized particles, in( uding &ia8le microorganisms prote(ted 8y dust grains and%or as part o= a micro8ial (o11unity or 8io?lm =ragment. :uring t$is s(enario, in(ident 4@ radiation wou d 8e s(reened during t$e dispersal, 8e=ore settling else'$ere on t$e planet. At t$e present time, 2no'ledge o= '$ere and $ow =ar su($ partic es would tra&el, particularly on t$e mesos(ale o= interest re ative to $uman eMploration, is a8sent. T$e ?nding o= t$e 2"18 #>S3AR wor2ing meeting on t$is topic (Ra(e et al. 2"1L) is t$at 1easurements $a&e not 8een ta2en at t$e ne(essary =reKuen(y and duration to (reate predictive models 'it$ a reasona8le le&el o= (on?den(e. T$e eMperts at t$is 1eeting re(o11ended dedicated meteorology in&estigations in t$e area o= t$e planned $uman landing site, to ta2e new 1easure1ents o&er at least a =ull martian year at multiple ?Med o(ations to o8tain t$e data needed to =ully de&elop, test and &alidate (ontamination transport models. Ho'e&er, it was o8ser&ed t$at a sing e suita8ly a((ommodated $ig$-?delity meteorology pa(2age on a mission (ould ena8le t$e a((umu ation o= suW(ient data, 8ut would produ(e a less ro8ust model. T$e 2"18 #>S3AR group (onsidered t$at it would 8e prudent =or 1eteoro ogical measurements to 8e given $ig$ priority in =uture $uman and ro8otic eMploration o= Mars. 3.1.2 Subsurface Transport Su8sur=a(e transport (an 8e (onsidered on 1ultiple s(ales =rom s$a ow ("-2.! meters) to 21 dept$s, and transport o= (ontaminants are different =or ea($. S$a low drilling su($ as t$e proposed I(e8rea2er mission (9(0ay et al. 2"1E) (ould (olle(t ice-saturated sa1ples at "-1 1eters dept$ and assess t$eir $a8ita8ility and assay =or martian life 8iosignatures prote(ted =rom sur=a(e ($emistries. T$is near sur=a(e en&ironment is at greatest ris2 =rom (ontamination =rom $uman a(tivities, 8ut is o= t$e most interest in t$e near term =or reasons o= a((essibility and potential use as a resour(e. T$e ice ta8 e 8eneat$ 1"s o= (1 o= soil (ou d $ost per($lorate 8rines 8ut t$ey are not eMpe(ted to 8e $a8ita8le at modeled temperatures (7ivera-@alentin et al. 2"2"). *ut, implicit in t$e NSpe(ial RegionsO (on(ept is t$at $a8ita8le en&iron1ents (an o((ur on Mars, and t$ere=ore martian ife in su($ en&iron1ents (an’t yet 8e ruled out. 5ife dete(tion in&estigations o= sites t$at may $ost Mars life would 8e an important input =or =uture $u1an missions (Sto2er et al. 2"2"). At 1oderate dept$s (up to 1""s meters) su8sur=a(e temperatures s$ould 8lo(2 penetration o= Suid 8orne p$ysica %($emica %8iological (ontaminants 8y =reeBing.