Planetary protection in the era of Mars sample return
NASA’s Perseverance rover landed on Mars in February 2020, sending an exciting signal that samples from Mars will be coming back to Earth in the not-too-distant future. One of Perseverance’s primary missions is to collect samples to look for evidence of microbial life in Mars’ history. In this compelling context, it is essential that we examine our planetary protection policies in preparation for sample return. [...]
