National Academies Press: OpenBook

Preventing the Forward Contamination of Mars (2006)

Chapter: Appendix H Acronyms and Abbreviations

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Suggested Citation:"Appendix H Acronyms and Abbreviations." National Research Council. 2006. Preventing the Forward Contamination of Mars. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/11381.
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H
Acronyms and Abbreviations


ATLO

assembly, test, and launch operations

ATP

adenosine triphosphate


CETEX

Committee on Contamination by Extraterrestrial Exploration

COSPAR

Committee on Space Research


DNA

deoxyribonucleic acid


EDL

entry, descent, landing

ESA

European Space Agency

EURECA

European Retrievable Carrier


GCM

general circulation model

GPR

ground-penetrating radar

GRS

gamma ray spectrometer

Gya

billion years ago


ICSU

International Council for Science


JPL

Jet Propulsion Laboratory


LAL

limulus amebocyte lysate

LDEF

Long Duration Exposure Facility


MARSIS Mars

Advanced Radar for Subsurface and Ionospheric Sounding

MAV

Mars Ascent Vehicle

MEPAG

Mars Exploration Program Analysis Group

MER

Mars Exploration Rover

MOLA

Mars Observer Laser Altimeter

Suggested Citation:"Appendix H Acronyms and Abbreviations." National Research Council. 2006. Preventing the Forward Contamination of Mars. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/11381.
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MRO

Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter

MSL

Mars Science Laboratory

MSPSG

Mars Science Program Synthesis Group

MSR

Mars Sample Return


NAS

National Academy of Sciences

NASA

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

NHB

NASA Handbook

NMI

NASA Management Instruction

NPR

NASA Procedural Requirements

NRC

National Research Council

NSF

National Science Foundation


OCSSG

Organic Contamination Science Steering Group


PAH

polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon

Pc

probability of contamination

PCR

polymerase chain reaction

Pg

probability of growth

PP

planetary protection


R&D

research and development

RNA

ribonucleic acid

rRNA

ribosomal RNA


SHARAD

shallow radar

SSB

Space Studies Board


TBD

to be determined

TES

thermal emission spectrometer

T-RFLP

terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism


UV

ultraviolet

Suggested Citation:"Appendix H Acronyms and Abbreviations." National Research Council. 2006. Preventing the Forward Contamination of Mars. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/11381.
×
Suggested Citation:"Appendix H Acronyms and Abbreviations." National Research Council. 2006. Preventing the Forward Contamination of Mars. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/11381.
×
Page 152
Suggested Citation:"Appendix H Acronyms and Abbreviations." National Research Council. 2006. Preventing the Forward Contamination of Mars. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/11381.
×
Page 153
Suggested Citation:"Appendix H Acronyms and Abbreviations." National Research Council. 2006. Preventing the Forward Contamination of Mars. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/11381.
×
Page 154
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Recent spacecraft and robotic probes to Mars have yielded data that are changing our understanding significantly about the possibility of existing or past life on that planet. Coupled with advances in biology and life-detection techniques, these developments place increasing importance on the need to protect Mars from contamination by Earth-borne organisms. To help with this effort, NASA requested that the NRC examine existing planetary protection measures for Mars and recommend changes and further research to improve such measures. This report discusses policies, requirements, and techniques to protect Mars from organisms originating on Earth that could interfere with scientific investigations. It provides recommendations on cleanliness and biological burden levels of Mars-bound spacecraft, methods to reach those levels, and research to reduce uncertainties in preventing forward contamination of Mars.

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