Purpose

a. This document sets forth NASA requirements applicable to robotic planetary flight programs. These requirements are necessary to enable the Associate Administrator for the Science Mission Directorate (SMD) to fulfill his/her responsibilities pertaining to planetary protection, as required by NPD 8020.7 (Biological Contamination Control for Outbound and Inbound Planetary Spacecraft).

b. This document specifically addresses: (1) the control of terrestrial microbial contamination associated with robotic space vehicles intended to land, orbit, flyby, or otherwise encounter extraterrestrial solar system bodies, and (2) the control of contamination of the Earth and the Moon by extraterrestrial material collected and returned by robotic missions.

APPLICABILITY

a. This NPR is applicable to NASA Headquarters and NASA Centers, including Component Facilities and Technical and Service Support Centers. This language applies to JPL, other contractors, grant recipients, or parties to agreements to the extent specified or referenced in the appropriate contracts, grants, or agreements.

b. The requirements of this document apply to all robotic missions that may encounter other solar system bodies, including those to and from the Earth's Moon, and to all robotic solar system exploration missions returning extraterrestrial samples to the Earth or the Moon.

c. This document is specifically not applicable to the following:

(1) terrestrial (Earth-orbital) missions.

(2) human missions, except for Shuttle-launched, but otherwise robotic, planetary missions.

d. NASA officials responsible for applicable flight programs and projects will impose these requirements in such directives or contractual instruments as may be necessary to ensure their implementation.