Astrobiology, COSPAR, Planetary protection, Space Law & Governance

Lessons learnt from Earth: Can COSPAR be used for planetary protection during space activities to eliminate contamination to the space environment, by using a space governance approach?
Summary:
This project will examine the issue of planetary protection and the way in which the space governance framework can best deal with the challenges facing human exploration of other planets.
Project Highlights:
1. Evaluating the role of COSPAR planetary protection guidelines as a tool of space governance;
2. Enhancing the way in which laws, guidelines and best practice can effectively protect pristine environments;
3. Developing regulations and guidance models to maximise the balance between human exploration and protecting pristine extra-terrestrial environments.
Overview:
Planetary protection is an area that has been the subject of much discussion. Consensus amongst the scientific community has emerged via the Committee for Space Research (COSPAR), which has developed a Planetary Protection policy regarding the
different levels of protection to be afforded to other planets and to any samples returned to Earth.
Despite the prevalence of these guidelines, there have been several occasions where missions have failed to meet the COSPAR standards. Notwithstanding their wide acceptance, they do not have the binding force of international law and there is by no means universally enforced.
This project will evaluate the COSPAR guidelines and pose a number of questions; do they have a place within the future of space governance? Should they be given the force of law as a means of embedding the ethics of planetary protection? The ramifications of a relaxation of the guidelines is not yet known.
Now that exploration of space is being driven by factors other than a race to showcase competing ideologies, there exists an opportunity for dialogue to ensure an orderly and equitable exploration of space. This project will seek to critically evaluate the way in which COSPAR guidelines can evolve and work within ambitious future projects. The study will aim to model a governance solution that will provide all stakeholders with the flexibility to explore planets other than Earth. It would also ensure that private companies seeking to mine celestial bodies do not sidestep voluntary guidelines in the hunt for profit.

Introduction Chapters
• International Law – custom, state practice and treaties from instilled ‘a like areas’
• International Space Law – Introduction in art 6 & 9
• Moon Agreement
• Astrobiology – Introduction into the field of science in space exploration
• Planetary Protection & COSPAR Introduction
• Space Governance Introduction
• Backwards Contamination
• Scientific certainty – Plans to bring samples back from celestial bodies [Issues] • Legal & governance issues
• Forward Contamination

Earth Issues to Planetary Protection

• Introduction to Stern Report and critically analyse compare to COSPAR
• Sustainable development and the creation of PPP [planetary sustainability] • The future generational concept for PPP and exploration from an ethical view of PPP
• Contamination: Space activities, Third Party activities and natural occurrences from other celestial bodies
• Private Actors – Material and components selection vs industry standard without knowledge of PPP/ Lack of understanding of PPP vs misunderstanding due to cost, delays, experience and staffing/ Pollution, appropriation or for-profit space activities criminal or Tort? Supervision of an NGO or an administrative task? NGO’s in a failed State (rouge entity)? State Secrets over contamination?
• Clean Rooms & accountability – Organic contaminants/ Biological contamination/ bioburden reduction issues
• International quality control
• Due diligence/ Standard of care
• The principle of due regard/ Impact assessments, Right to Consult (Trail Smelter)
• International cooperation on the basis of international law established for NASA planetary protection principle.

Space Governance & other none-binding declarations

• Voluntary, good practice and non-binding issues – current space governance
• Astrolaw
• Space Law
• Maritime & Enviromental Law
• Tort & Criminal Liability is space?
• Beyond State liability and based on the human error
• Licencing, supervision and inspections of launches etc
• Human rights to use, access and hold equal shares in space vs for profit companies
• Technology operation components i.e. oil & fuel
• Soft Law – Common expectation, international relations & political opinion
• Sanctions Vs litigation
• WTO Rules? Dispute resolution
• Creation of an assembly such as COP
• Human Space Flight & Microbe contamination

Classifications of celestial bodies and issues regarding forward and backwards contamination

• Ocean worlds and Icy Moons
• Mars and Exo Planets
• Asteroids
• Near Earth Objects
• Resource Management, exploration
• exploitation and Outer Space Use
• Adaptive and dormant organisms
• Possible forms of life and Environments
• What effect would these bacteria and viruses have on the pristine environments that they invaded?
• Solar System Recovery/ Preservation/ Ethical Use of Space
• Special Regions
• Categories of mission’s issues with icy moons
• Good practise and ethical consideration for microbes on NEO and nearby areas of possible unknown astrological significance.
• Precautionary Principle for space exploration [humanity should not introduce irreversible changes to the environment] • How do we ascertain that our project does not destroy or deplete any resources or biological systems necessary for improving our understanding of life, its origin, distribution and future on Earth and in the universe or for human survival and well-being (and the survival and well-being of other life-forms)?
• Space Environment and the natural progressive nature of Microbes and the need for PPP [What would planetary sustainable guidelines look like with regards to PP] • Contamination: Space activities, Third Party activities and natural occurrences from other celestial bodies
• Planetary Sustainability & exploration and scientific development
• Ethics
• COSPAR (reducing in microorganisms) v Technology sustainable components
• Beyond Viking level? Adaption or creation of a more advanced view that replaces spore counts? Spore counts vs Genomic monitoring
• Architectures of space crafts and how the structures adapt to raising & lowering temperatures, planetary amphitropic information and radiation.
• International policy/ protocol for returned samples
• Component sterilization parts before the beginning of the integrations
• Shelf life of sterilized parts
• NASA PPO approved database v Trade Secrets
• Cost of implementing planetary protections ‘guidelines’
• Modernization of the flight based system to identify parts and the level of sterilization
• Governance between NGO, States and Planetary Protection
• Biobarrier design, development and testing
• Body to oversee testing i.e. inspections & compliance
• Should we colonise planets and Moons?
• For the benefit of all mankind or to make Profit?
• Space Microbiology