Bio-Barriers: Preventing Forward Contamination and Protecting Planetary Astrobiology Instruments

Abstract

A small team of engineers at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), California Institute of Technology have developed a unique capability for protecting planetary environments that might harbor bio-signatures, as well as protecting the instruments looking for trace organic signatures of past and/or extant life. Bio-barrier materials, designs of bio-barrier structures for flight applications, and actual flight test results for missions such as the upcoming Mars Scout, Phoenix, 07 launch are discussed in this in-depth examination of both the process and steps taken to develop effective bio-barrier mechanisms for planetary environments.