The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine is seeking suggestions for experts to be considered for the membership rotation or other engagement with the Committee on Planetary Protection (CoPP). CoPP is tasked with monitoring progress implementing the planetary protection guidelines associated with priority programs and missions identified in the National Academies planetary science decadal surveys and serves as a source of advice on measures undertaken to protect the biological and environmental integrity of extraterrestrial bodies and to preserve the integrity of Earth's biosphere.
Using these suggestions, National Academies staff will be looking to fill open seats on the committee of approximately 15 total volunteer experts in addition to collecting information for potential speakers, participants, and other forms of engagement.
Based on the Statement of Task and the continuing membership of the committee, staff are looking for expertise, particularly in the following areas:
- Microbiology of life support systems for space craft, habitats, and orbiting stations;
- Biofilms in the built environment on Earth, as analogues for habitable infrastructure on the Moon and Mars;
- Microbial adaptation to microgravity, radiation, and other stressors of space activities; and
- Microbiology of food farming and bioreactors under conditions in space.
And more broadly in the following areas:
- Crewed missions, and large robotic crew-demonstration missions, to Mars;
- Probability of surface contamination and associated parameters concerning crewed missions;
- Spacecraft reliability, mission assurance, and safety balance for crewed missions;
- Low-cost robotic missions to Mars;
- Models for bioburden, burnup and breakup, and orbital stability based on Mars Mission Design Handbook scenarios; and
- Commercial missions to Mars.