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cross_type 3.46 — strongly supporting 10 facts
NASEM is directly related to planetary protection as it has convened committees to evaluate, define, and provide policy recommendations for the field, as evidenced by their reports on the rationales and ethical implications of these policies [1], [2], [3], and [4].
Facts (10)
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Read "Review and Assessment of Planetary Protection Policy ... nap.nationalacademies.org 8 facts
perspectiveThe National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) committee focuses its planetary protection report on effects that can interfere with searches for extraterrestrial life or the well-being of terrestrial life.
accountThe National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) removed the phrase 'in their natural state' from its statement of rationale in its final report to avoid implying an intent to broaden planetary protection policy beyond protecting scientific searches for evidence of life.
claimThe National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine committee concluded that current planetary protection policy development processes are inadequate to respond to the implications of increasingly complex solar system exploration missions because these processes are built on a chain of incremental refinements to legacy approaches developed over 50 years.
claimThe National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) committee defines planetary protection primarily in terms of avoiding harmful biological and organic contamination, though other forms of contamination, such as abiotic chemical, mechanical, or esthetic consequences, can also occur during planetary exploration missions.
perspectiveThe National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine committee emphasizes that the fundamental goal of planetary protection policy is to enable, rather than inhibit, exploration and the search for life.
claimThe National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine committee identified two primary rationales for planetary protection: preserving the integrity of Earth’s biosphere and protecting the biological and environmental integrity of other solar system bodies for future science missions.
claimThe National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine committee concluded that there is no need to identify a third rationale for planetary protection focused on avoiding false results in searching for evidence of life, as avoiding false results is already important for science investigations and policy implementation.
claimThe National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine committee concluded that the historical underpinnings of planetary protection policy remain vital, specifically the Outer Space Treaty (OST) as a foundation, the Committee on Space Research (COSPAR)’s role in fostering international cooperation, science-based decision making, and U.S. leadership in policy-making.
Putting the Ethics into Planetary Protection | News | Astrobiology astrobiology.nasa.gov 2 facts
claimThe committee of authors for the National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine report recognized that planetary protection and its associated ethical issues are intertwined and require new policies.
claimThe National Academies committee did not believe it had the mandate to study the implications of an expanded ethical approach to planetary protection.