Planetary Protection Requirements For Future Exploration Missions: Assessing Metagenomic Methods For Their Inclusion In ESA Standards

The objective of this workshop is to provide an international forum where space and government agencies, industrial partners, experts, academics, and users can share knowledge on molecular techniques (i.e. metagenomic) and create the basis for their future inclusion in planetary protection practice.

The workshop will benefit from participation among others of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Planetary Protection Office and COSPAR Planetary Protection panel, but also from different user perspectives outside the space industry.The workshop will provide a forum for networking with international experts in their field and a unique opportunity to discuss the most recent advances in molecular biology techniques for assessment of microbial bioburden on cleanrooms and spacecraft surfaces.

Participants will be able to share their perspectives, including technical challenges and lesson learnt on the topic, and help shaping the framework to modernise planetary protection toolkits. Workshop will include active participation in work cases.

We look forward to seeing you,

The ESA PP Workshop organising team