NASA is asking companies to join together and propose standards that support the prevention of extra-terrestrial biologic material spreading on Earth, Space News reported Thursday.
Lisa Pratt, NASA planetary protection officer, said the space agency would help a potential industry group that would study and recommend actions to maintain cleanliness of returning spacecraft.
“We need to incentivize all the stakeholders to invest in technology innovation for rapid detection of biologic contaminants on a spacecraft,” she said Thursday at the 2019 International Astronautical Congress in Washington, D.C.
Pratt’s statement supports NASA’s planetary protection effort.
