“Sticky little devils” … improving planetary protection forward decontamination strategies – studies on the spore resistance to low-pressure plasma sterilization & persistence on metallic copper surfaces

Abstract

Microbial contamination arising from spacecraft exploration harbors the distinct potential to impact the development and integrity of life-detection missions on planetary bodies such as Mars and Europa. Such missions are subjected to strict regulations. In the context of the planetary protection guidelines, established by the Committee of Space Research (COSPAR) in 1967, it is essential to reduce or eliminate the biological burden on flight hardware prior to launch in order to prevent cross contamination of celestial bodies with environmental or human-associated microorganisms. Depending on type of mission and planetary body, specific planetary protection guidelines are required to clean and sterilize a spacecraft or its components to avoid contamination from terrestrial organisms. The search for extraterrestrial life will rely heavily on validated cleaning and bioreduction strategies to ensure that terrestrial microbial contamination does not compromise the scientific integrity of such missions.