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Preventing the Forward Contamination of Europa (2000) / Chapter Skim
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6 Recommended Planetary Protection Strategy for Europa
Pages 22-24

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From page 22...
... Although a majority of the members did agree on a specific requirement, a rationale, and a proposed procedure for meeting that requirement, two significant independent minority views were also expressed. This chapter outlines the task group's recommended planetary protection strategy for Europa and goes on to explain the areas of general agreement as well as the points on which the views of the two minority subsets diverged from that of the majority.
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From page 23...
... Recognizing that reasonable people may disagree on the interpretation of complex scientific issues, the task group presents here the majority viewpoint and both minority viewpoints so that they may be discussed and retained for the historical record. Applicability of the Current Planetary Protection Strategies to Europa The first point of disagreement concerned the applicability to Europa of the current approach to planetary protection as recommended in NRC reports, as adopted by NASA, and as ratified by the international scientific community, embodied by COSPAR.
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From page 24...
... The minority maintained that the known facts are sufficient to form scientifically valid conclusions about the survival and proliferation of terrestrial organisms on Europa. It argued further that even if organisms that had simultaneously adapted to all the extreme environmental parameters on Europa did exist on Earth, the probability that a spacecraft would be contaminated with significant numbers of these organisms is infinitesimally small.
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Key Terms

  • terrestrial organism
  • europan ocean
  • minority viewpoints
  • protection strategy
  • independent minority

  • majority viewpoint
  • sample calculation
  • mars missions
  • particular mission
  • oceanic environment

  • recommended planetary
  • terrestrial organisms
  • minority subset
  • viable terrestrial
  • biological studies

  • possibly updated
  • subject future
  • set according
  • recycle surface
  • implement planetary

  • form scientifically
  • impacting spacecraft
  • spacecraft depend
  • current planetary
  • hydrostatic pressure

  • chemical energy
  • time scale
  • protection requirements
  • organic debris
  • future missions


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