When Biospheres Collide: A History of Nasa's Planetary Protection Programs

Washington, D.C.: NASA Aeronautics and Space Administration : United States Government Pritning Office, Washington, 2010. First Edition (presumed; no prior editions or printings cited). Large octavo with polished cloth boards and silver stamping in blue and white pictorial jacket; xx, 522 pages: illustrations; bibliography; index; 25 cm Near fine in very good (+) jacket with slightest edgewear; now in archival mylar. Hardcover. ISBN: 9780160853272

"Each time a space vehicle visits another world it runs the risk of forever changing that extraterrestrial environment. We are surrounded on Earth by a melange of different microorganisms, and if some of these hitch-hike onboard a space mission, they could contaminate and start colonies on a different planet. Such an occurrence would irrevocably alter the nature of that world, compromise all future scientific exploration of the body, and possibly damage any extant life on it. And by inadvertently carrying exotic organisms back to Earth on our spacecraft, we risk the release of biohazardous materials into our own ecosystem." --Jacket.

Contents: Why we must protect planetary environments. In the beginning: The need for planetary protection is recognized. Developing effective planetary protection approaches. Back contamination: The Apollo approach. Planetary protection for Mars: The Viking experience. Small bodies of the Solar System. Return to Mars. Do we have the right to contaminate: The ethical and legal aspects of planetary protection. Conclusion. Appendices. Detailed planetary protection requirements. The impact of "Faster, Better, Cheaper" on planetary protection priorities. Biohazard identification: The synergism between bioterror prevention and planetary protection research. Committees, organizations, and facilities important to the development of planetary protection. Timeline of important planetary protection-related events. Planetary protection approaches used on various missions.

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