Space exploration and the Health Protection Agency

The Mars sample return mission is a goal of the European Space Agency and under international treaty it is mandatory that samples from Mars or other planets are sealed off from the terrestrial environment until they have been tested for the presence of life or fossil life forms. It is also important that any samples returned are not contaminated by the earth’s environment.

The Health Protection Agency has over 50 years’ experience in dealing safely with a range of dangerous microbes in highcontainment laboratories, including new diseases or previously unknown organisms. In addition, it manufactures a number of pharmaceutical products in specialist clean rooms. Thus, it is ideally placed to recommend appropriate control measures to ensure the safe handling of any samples that are brought back from Mars.

www.hpa.org.uk