PROPOSAL FOR EXTENSION OF PLANETARY PROTECTION POLICY TO AVOID BIOLOGICAL CONTAMINATION OF MARS WITH MANNED EXPLORATION SUPPORTED BY SPACE AGRICULTURE

• Hashimoto Hirofumi

  Graduate School of Systems and Information Engineering, University of Tsukuba

• Koike Junpei

  Tokyo Institute of Technology

• Yamashita Masamichi

  Institute of Space and Astronautical Science /JAXA

• Oshima Tairo

  Institute of Environmental Microbiology, Kyowa Kako Co., Ltd

• Space Agriculture Saloon

Bibliographic Information

Other Title

• 宇宙農業に支えられた火星有人探査における生物学的汚染回避のための惑星保護方針拡充の提案(<特集>ISOLAB'05 プロシーディング)

Abstract

  The major purpose of manned exploration on Mars is to find extraterrestrial life in either extant or extinct forms. Space agriculture is necessary to carry out such manned exploration on Mars in the long term, as it is very reasonable method to provide human beings with foods and to recycle materials. A conceptual design of space agriculture for habitation on Mars is developed by Space Agriculture Saloon. We design confined greenhouse dome to create living environment on Mars based on the constraints from planetary protection together with humanistic requirements and wellness. Hyper-thermophilic aerobic composting microbial ecology is proposed to process metabolic wastes and inedible biomass for recycling materials. A great number of bacteria were brought by human beings from the Earth to Mars. It is eventually a keen issue whether terrestrial life forms brought into Mars could prevent the forward contamination on exploration sites or not. When we plan unmanned and manned exploration of Mars, whole scenario should be carefully planned based on the requirements of astrobiology. We should avoid contamination of Mars before we could find life forms exist and well characterized, or confirm that life have never evolved on Mars. We propose an extension of the planetary protection policy, which has been discussed and issued by COSPAR and IAU at scoping the horizon of manned missions. Any planning of space agriculture or manned exploration should meet such international regulation defined and revised for the new scope.

Journal

• Viva Origino

  Viva Origino 34 (2), 86-89, 2006

  The Society for the Study of the Origin and Evolution of Life Japan

Keywords

• Space agriculture
• Planetary protection
• Mars
• Manned exploration
• Hyper-thermophilic bacteria

Details

• CRID: 1390853879744995456
• NII Article ID: 110004744878
• NII Book ID: AA11148698
• DOI: 10.50968/vivaorigino.34.2_86
• ISSN: 13466933
• ISSN: 09104003
• NDL BIB ID: 8037223
• Web Site: https://ndlsearch.ndl.go.jp/books/R000000004-I8037223
• Web Site: http://dl.ndl.go.jp/info:ndljp/pid/10488001
• Text Lang: en
• Data Source:
  • JaLC
  • NDL
  • NDL-Digital
  • CiNii Articles
• Abstract License Flag: Allowed