PMID- 24432777
OWN - NLM
STAT- MEDLINE
DCOM- 20141118
LR  - 20140117
IS  - 1557-8070 (Electronic)
IS  - 1557-8070 (Linking)
VI  - 14
IP  - 1
DP  - 2014 Jan
TI  - Implementing planetary protection on the Atlas V fairing and ground systems used 
      to launch the Mars Science Laboratory.
PG  - 33-41
LID - 10.1089/ast.2013.1011 [doi]
AB  - On November 26, 2011, the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) launched from Florida's 
      Cape Canaveral Air Force Station aboard an Atlas V 541 rocket, taking its first 
      step toward exploring the past habitability of Mars' Gale Crater. Because 
      microbial contamination could profoundly impact the integrity of the mission, and 
      compliance with international treaty was a necessity, planetary protection 
      measures were implemented on all MSL hardware to verify that bioburden levels 
      complied with NASA regulations. The cleanliness of the Atlas V payload fairing 
      (PLF) and associated ground support systems used to launch MSL were also 
      evaluated. By applying proper recontamination countermeasures early and often in 
      the encapsulation process, the PLF was kept extremely clean and was shown to pose 
      little threat of recontaminating the enclosed MSL flight system upon launch. 
      Contrary to prelaunch estimates that assumed that the interior PLF spore burden 
      ranged from 500 to 1000 spores/m(2), the interior surfaces of the Atlas V PLF were 
      extremely clean, housing a mere 4.65 spores/m(2). Reported here are the practices 
      and results of the campaign to implement and verify planetary protection measures 
      on the Atlas V launch vehicle and associated ground support systems used to 
      launch MSL. All these facilities and systems were very well kept and exceeded the 
      levels of cleanliness and rigor required in launching the MSL payload.
FAU - Benardini, James N 3rd
AU  - Benardini JN 3rd
AD  - 1 Biotechnology and Planetary Protection Group, Jet Propulsion Laboratory , 
      California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California.
FAU - La Duc, Myron T
AU  - La Duc MT
FAU - Ballou, David
AU  - Ballou D
FAU - Koukol, Robert
AU  - Koukol R
LA  - eng
PT  - Journal Article
PT  - Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.
PL  - United States
TA  - Astrobiology
JT  - Astrobiology
JID - 101088083
RN  - 0 (Particulate Matter)
SB  - IM
MH  - Bacteria/growth & development
MH  - Colony Count, Microbial
MH  - *Containment of Biohazards
MH  - Equipment Contamination
MH  - *Extraterrestrial Environment
MH  - *Laboratories
MH  - *Mars
MH  - Particulate Matter/analysis
MH  - *Spacecraft
MH  - United States
MH  - United States National Aeronautics and Space Administration
EDAT- 2014/01/18 06:00
MHDA- 2014/11/19 06:00
CRDT- 2014/01/18 06:00
PHST- 2014/01/18 06:00 [entrez]
PHST- 2014/01/18 06:00 [pubmed]
PHST- 2014/11/19 06:00 [medline]
AID - 10.1089/ast.2013.1011 [doi]
PST - ppublish
SO  - Astrobiology. 2014 Jan;14(1):33-41. doi: 10.1089/ast.2013.1011.