Planetary protection · Planetary Protection
Backward Contamination
The risk of bringing potentially hazardous material back to Earth in a returned sample. Sample-return missions are designed to contain their cargo as strictly as the most dangerous pathogens, so nothing escapes before it is shown to be safe.
Highlights
- ›Protecting Earth from anything a sample might carry
Worlds, missions & methods
Knowledge connections
- Member of groupPlanetary Protection
- Associated withMars Sample Return
Sources
The primary and reference sources this topic draws on.
- NASANational Aeronautics and Space Administration
Mission data, planetary science, space telescopes, and public-domain imagery.
Most NASA-produced imagery is in the public domain; individual items are checked for usage terms before publication.