NRC Recommends NASA Galileo Crash

Autonomous Crowhard writes: "An article on SpaceRef relays information that a National Research Council committee is suggesting that NASA crash Galileo at the end of its mission. The reason for this is to avoid potentially contaminating Europa or Io with a crash there. (As I understand it, Galileo didn't undergo the same stringent decontamination procedures that landers normally have to go through.) Two questions: 1) Would humans constitute too much of a risk of contamination, and 2) Wouldn't you like to be able to put "Planetary Protection Officer" on your resume?"

Comments

microbes in space

[jeff_bond]

There is a real risk of microbes on Galileo contaminating any planet or moon that it lands/crashes on.

See this link to read how microbes survived on the moon after a lunar missions.

Jeff