NASA unveils new Interim Directives to protect Moon and Mars from contamination

The US space agency NASA on July 9 unveiled two Interim Directives (NIDs) in a bid to protect the Moon and Mars from contamination as human spaceflight advances. According to a press note, NASA updated the ‘planetary protection policies’ for robotic and human missions to Earth’s Moon and future human mission travelling to Mars. The new directives are to ensure the protection of the planetary bodies from any possible biological contamination that could originate on Earth and ultimately interfere with scientific research. 

As per the press release, one of the two NIDs addresses that control of forwarding terrestrial biological contamination associated with all NASA and NASA-affiliated missions intended to land, orbit or otherwise encounter the Moon. Thomas Zurbuchen, who is the Associate Administrator of NASA’s Science Mission Directorate, said that the space agency is enabling the important goal of substantial exploration of the Moon while simultaneously safeguarding future science in the permanently shadowed regions. He further also pointed out that Moon and Mars have immense scientific value in shaping the understanding of the history of Earth, the Moon and the solar system. 

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‘NID will enable exploration of Mars’ 

On the other hand, the second directive deals with Mars and covers both forward and backward contamination. According to the US Space agency, the second NID reforms previous policies that would have constructively prohibited the human exploration of Mars. The new directive establishes a path forward wherein knowledge gained from the International Space Station, Gateway, lunar surface operations, as well as robotic missions to Mars will be leveraged to prevent harmful forward and backwards harmful biological contamination.

NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine said, “This NID will enable the human exploration of Mars, creating new opportunities for awe-inspiring science and innovative commercial activities. I believe science and human exploration are complimentary endeavours and I’m excited to see these policy reforms open up a new era of discovery”. 

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