The shield of planetary protection

The search for Martian life

Chapter 1

The watery past of Mars

Chapter 2

Robotic detectives on the red planet

Chapter 3

Biosignatures and the clues of life

Chapter 4

Earthly twins and extreme environments

Chapter 5

Bringing Mars back to Earth

YOUR GOAL

Master of The search for Martian life

Ch 5 · Bringing Mars back to Earth

artiteacher The shield of planetary protection

artiteacher Bringing Mars back to Earth

Bring it back, bring it back / We are bringing Mars back home!

artiteacher Inside a level-four biohazard lab

Inside a level-four biohazard lab

artiteacher Returned Martian rocks will be analyzed in the most secure labs on Earth.

The shield of planetary protection

artiteacher Strict protocols prevent Earth microbes from contaminating Mars, and vice versa.

Mars in My Pocket

BETA

artiteacher Scan Martian rocks with rover lasers to discover how scientists search for ancient life.

Fun Fact

Clean room assembly: Spacecraft looking for life are built in 'clean rooms' where technicians wear full bodysuits to prevent human skin flakes or hair from contaminating the robot.

Glossary

sample (noun)
A small part or quantity intended to show what the whole is like. NASA's Perseverance rover began caching Martian rock samples in Jezero Crater in September 2021.

Gossip

Should we worry about Martian pathogens?

Quiz

How will scientists handle returned Mars samples inside containment labs?

artiteacher The ultimate heist of Mars Sample Return

Quiz

What is the practice of preventing biological contamination between planets called?

artiteacher The debate over Martian microbes

Quiz

What is the main danger of accidentally bringing Earth microbes to Mars?

Quiz

What is the joint NASA-ESA mission to bring soil back to Earth called?

Quiz

What would finding fossilized life on Mars prove about the universe?

Quiz

Where will returned Mars samples be analyzed to guarantee safety?

Quiz

Why must technicians wear full bodysuits when building Mars rovers?

Quiz

What is the highest level of biosafety containment used for dangerous pathogens?