The aliens take note: only humans can destroy this planet.
NASA is taking steps to prevent extraterrestrial pollutants from invading Earth.
Last week, the agency’s Office of Planetary Protection (OPP) said they had hired the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence Institute (SETI) to support all current and future missions according to OPP standards. SETI researchers will oversee almost all aspects of hygiene in future flight projects and will undertake new guidelines for “biological cleaning”.
Founded in 1984 by NASA officials, the SETI Institute is a nonprofit research organization dedicated to answering the question, “Are we alone in the universe?”
A particular concern for the two agencies as they prepare for the upcoming missions to the moon, Mars and potentially Venus: extraterrestrial pollutants brought back to Earth. They also highlighted “responsible exploration” and the need to reduce the human footprint in outer space.
“As we return to the moon, search for evidence of past or present life on Mars, and continue our exploration and discovery missions in the solar system, planetary protection becomes an increasingly important component of the planning and execution of mission, “Bill Diamond, president and CEO of the SETI Institute, said in a press release. “We are proud to be partners with NASA for this mission-critical function, protecting Earth from backward contamination and helping to ensure that the life we can find on other worlds does not come from ours.”
Last month, NASA promised to pay tribute to healthcare workers fighting our global pollutant, the coronavirus, by including a commemorative plaque on the Perseverance rover during the upcoming Martian expedition.
“We wanted to show our appreciation for those who have put their personal well-being at stake for the good of others,” said Matt Wallace, deputy project manager for NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. “It is our hope that when future generations travel to Mars and encounter our scout vehicle, they will be reminded that there were such people on Earth in 2020.”
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