Microorganisms on Mars

Abstract

The article which Bond's committee objects to is an examination of the basic assumptions of the current spacecraft sterilization policy in the light of new knowledge of the planet Mars. It shows that the validity of these assumptions is, at the very least, questionable. Our conclusions are based on a large amount of evidence which was not available in 1964 when the basic COSPAR resolution was adopted, including the data from Mariner IV and from recent earth-based observations.

Additional details