There are two planned Mars landings in 2021.
First, NASAsPerseverance roveris due to land on the planet later this month.
Then Chinas Tianwen rover will follow in May.
Both missions intend to search the planet for signs of life.
The good thing is, we have policies and laws to prevent this from happening.
For 50 years, governmental organizations have stuck to the generally accepted rules and laws.
But they are no longer the only players in the game.
An increasing number of commercial space missions are taking off.
The former concerns the contamination of other planets by material taken from Earth.
This protects any life that may be on those planets, of course.
The facilities are regularly tested for any biological contamination and often throw up surprising results.
The life form, which survives on eating very little, was found nowhere else on Earth.
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Neil Armstrong even celebratedhis 39th birthdayin there.
We have since learned much more about the moon, and its generally considered to be microbe-free.
Nixon welcomed the quarantining astronauts.NASA,CC BY
The laws
Planetary protection has a long history.
It categorizes planets and moons based on their potential for life or signs of life, past or present.
The greater the potential for life, the greater the protective measures.
By this categorization, Mars is better protected than the moon.
This means missions to higher category bodies require more sterilization to ensure fewer potential contaminates travel.
But as the product of a non-governmental organization, the COSPAR policy is not legally binding.
This is due to theOuter Space Treaty of 1967.
While the treaty states harmful contamination should be avoided, it does not define what this means.
On top of this, theres a social and moral aspect to the obligation.
Space scientists expect missions to comply with the planetary protection principles.
To not do so risk condemnation from the scientific community.
Private companies are increasingly venturing further away from our planet.
The lunar landing attempt in 2019 that potentially contaminated the moon was by a private company, called SpaceIL.
Elon Musks SpaceX is aiming to launch missions to Mars.
Theyre required to authorize and continually supervise these activities.
If the damage is done, its the state that is liable, not the private company.
But many states include insurance policies as part of granting a license.
SpaceX is aiming for Mars.
However, the general approach taken so far by the US government is encouraging.
This isnt guaranteed to be maintained forever.
The efforts failed, but those who supported it may take another crack.
Planetary protection is important for maintaining the scientific value of outer space.
But scientific interest is not the only reason for exploring outer space there are many others.
Where the balance lies will need to be considered, but its a debate that needs wide participation.
