PURPOSE

This document sets forth requirements applicable to robotic planetary flight programs. These requirements are necessary to enable the Associate Administrator for Space Science to fulfill those responsibilities pertaining to planetary protection, as stated in NASA Policy Directive NPD 8020.7E, Biological Contamination Control for Outbound and Inbound Planetary Spacecraft, February 19, 1999. This document is specifically directed to (1) the control of terrestrial microbial contamination associated with robotic space vehicles intended to land, orbit, flyby, or otherwise be in the vicinity of extraterrestrial solar system bodies, and (2) the control of contamination of the Earth and Moon by extraterrestrial solar system material collected and returned by such missions.

APPLICABILITY

a. The provisions of this document apply to NASA Headquarters and NASA Centers, including Component Facilities, and to the Jet Propulsion Laboratory or Jet Propulsion Laboratory or other contractors as specified in the contract(s).

b. The requirements of this document apply to all robotic planetary flight activities with the exceptions listed below. The planetary flight activities include solar system exploration missions to the major planets as well as missions to planet satellites and to other solar system objects that may be of scientific interest.

c. This document is not applicable to the following:

(1) Terrestrial (Earth-orbiting) missions.

(2) Lunar missions.

(3) Human missions, except for Shuttle-launched, but otherwise robotic, planetary missions.

d. This directive applies to planetary flight programs and projects, and NASA officials having cognizance of such programmability will invoke these requirements in contractual instruments as may be appropriate to assure implementation.