Controversy Grows Over whether Mars Samples Endanger Earth

R I S K Y B U S I N E S S
NASA’s present proposal for MSR calls for an as-yet-unbuilt 
interplanetary ferry to release a cone-shaped, sample-packed 
capsule—called the Earth Entry System—high above our planet’s 
atmosphere. The capsule will then endure a fiery plunge to Earth, 
sans parachute, ultimately landing in a dry lake bed within the Utah 
Test and Training Range. Despite impacting at roughly 150 
kilometers per hour, the capsule will be designed to keep its samples 
intact and isolated. Once recovered, it will be placed in its own 
environmentally controlled protective container and then shipped to 
an off-site sample-receiving facility. Such a facility could resemble 
today’s biolabs that study highly infectious pathogens, incorporating 
multilayered decontamination measures, air-filtration systems, 
negative-pressure ventilation and myriad other safeguards. 
Citing the findings of multiple expert panels, NASA presently deems 
the ecological and public-safety risks of this proposal as “extremely 
low.” But not everyone agrees. Earlier this year the space agency 
solicited public commentary on an associated draft environmental 
impact statement, netting 
170 remarks
, most of which were negative 
regarding a direct-to-Earth, express mail concept of Mars collectibles. 
“Are you out of your minds? Not just no, but hell no,” suggested one 
commenter. “No nation should put the whole planet at risk,” another 
said. And another third opined, “Public opposition will surely rise 
drastically as the knowledge of [NASA’s] intentions are spread 
beyond the smaller space community.” Many of the respondents 
suggested that any shipment of specimens should somehow be first 
received and studied off-Earth—an approach that, while certainly 
prudent, could easily become a logistic and budgetary nightmare. 
Contrast this with the blunt opinion of Steven Benner, a prominent 
astrobiologist and founder of the Foundation for Applied Molecular 
Evolution in Alachua, Fla.: “I do not see any need for long discussions 
about how samples from Mars should be stored once they reach our 
planet,” he says. That’s because space rocks striking Mars routinely 

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eject material that ultimately ends up on Earth. Current estimates 
hold that about 500 kilograms of Martian rocks land on our planet 
every year, Benner says. He even has a five-gram hunk of Mars 
decorating his desk that alludes to that fact. 
“In the over 3.5 billion years since life appeared on Earth, trillions of 
other rocks have made similar journeys,” Benner says. “If Mars 
microbiota exist and can wreak havoc on Earth’s biosphere, it has 
already happened, and a few more kilograms from NASA will not 
make any difference.” 
Noting his service on many of the very same expert panels NASA now 
cites for its “extremely low” assessment of MSR’s risks, Benner says 
the space agency seems caught in a public relations trap of its own 
making, honor bound to endlessly debate the supposed complexities 
of what should really be considered simple, settled science. NASA 
now knows “how to look for life on Mars, where to look for life on 
Mars and why the likelihood of finding life on Mars is high,” he 
observes. “But NASA committees, seeking consensus and conformity 
over the fundamentals of chemistry, biology and planetary science 
that must drive the search for Martian life, displace the science in 
favor of discussions of these nonissues,” unnecessarily increasing the 
cost and delaying the launch of missions. 
“They end up ensuring that NASA never flies any life-detection 
missions,” Benner says. 

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