Astronauts exploring Mars must be careful not to leave too many footprints, experts urge.
Indeed, human exploration of the Red Planet poses risks in gathering potential evidence Life on Mars, Scientists say. Above all, here EarthSites of comparable scientific interest have suffered significant damage.
„Without legal or ethical frameworks to protect such sites we are at the same risk as Mars,” suggests a new research paper, which applies the principles of „geosecurity”. Space – A term called „exogeoconservation”.
Related: Life may have thrived on Mars near active volcanoes and an ancient mile-deep lake
Birthplace
Currently, exogeoconservation is a new field, unorganized and practically useless. Furthermore, the creation of international agreements and accepted protocols for the exploration of Mars is urgent, the development of government missions to the Red Planet, including robotic sample collection, and individual Mars missions are underway.
Toss in future human expeditions to Mars, as well as planned colonization and talk of Red Planet terraforming, changing Earth-like conditions.
This new phase of development in Martian exploration has devastating implications for the ancient environment and geology. Current policies and laws guiding human activities in space, including on Mars, fall far short in terms of safety, a new study asserts.
Geographic heritage value
Research paper onOuter defenses of Mars,” and Clare Fletcher of the Australian Center for Astrobiology in Sydney, along with center colleagues Carol Oliver and Martin van Granendonck, wrote a set of recommendations.
The motivation of the paper, they suggest, is to ensure that geologically important sites on Mars do not suffer the same damage as many sites on Earth. They say sites on the Red Planet can be practically protected while allowing science and exploration to continue.
„Geological conservation allows humanity to preserve the story and geological history of the Earth,” the researchers note, „so that current and future generations can enjoy the aesthetic beauty of the Earth, carry out scientific research, interact with different cultures, adequately preserve and stabilize the functioning of the Earth’s biological and ecological systems. , And learn about the history of our planet.”
Geological conservation, the research team points out, „does not prevent continued human activity in an area, but seeks to ensure a balance between human activities and maintaining the geoheritage value of a site.”
Impact activities
Based on Mars, understanding the geography, climate and possibilities of the planet Astrophysics History, the research team argues, „raises questions about the preservation of key geological sites and the possibility of life elsewhere, providing insight into the history of Mars.” The Solar System.”
Existing and as-yet-undefined major sites on Mars are of global geoheritage value, the researchers suggest, and will require „urgent conservation” as the nature of Mars exploration becomes more model-driven. Now collected by NASA Perseverance Rover – leading to „increasing impact activities” due to human habitation to the Red Planet.
Geovandalism
The paper focuses on two case studies on Earth involving the Gomati River Valley in South Africa and the Pilbara Early Life sites in Australia. They highlight significant damage to geological sites of outstanding global geoheritage value.
„Both sites provide insight into Earth’s geologic evolution and are astronomically significant, meaning they are analogous to astronomically and ancient ecologically significant sites on Mars,” Fletcher and colleagues explain.
The Gomati River Valley suffered from „geovandalism”, while Pilbara early life sites were subject to extensive sampling soon after their discovery. It contained no evidence of ancient life, and the site was deemed unworthy of preservation.
Special areas
„Special regions” already identified on Mars by expert groups are places where terrestrial life on the Red Planet can survive and thrive.
„Protecting sites of scientific value is incredibly important. Conservation does not mean 'ringfencing’; sites, but applying sufficient protection to allow continued study and ensure that current and future researchers can understand a site and recognize its scientific value.[s] on a site,” Fletcher told Inside Outer Space.
„There is no difference in external protection priority between scientific sites and special areas, but they require different protections and therefore different studies should be conducted.”
On the same page?
Keeping the entire global space community on the same page is vital when it comes to exogeo conservation, as Fletcher says, „any actor has the ability to change a site forever.”
This applies not only to different nation-states but also to private companies, confederations etc.
„This is where traditional legal frameworks get tricky, especially as United Nations treaty ratification has declined with each successive space-related treaty, and now we are introducing entirely new legal frameworks. Covenants of Artemis,” Fletcher pointed out.
NASAIn coordination with the US State Department, Artemis established the agreements in 2020. They are motivated by the performance of tasks and activities by countries and private companies. the moonGeneral principles governing the civil exploration and use of outer space were therefore deemed necessary.
A precautionary approach
For Mars, „understanding what norms can be developed and agreed upon by the global space community provides a way to affect change without the complications associated with changing the legal framework and signatures and/or ratification of such a framework,” Fletcher added.
Fletcher noted that follow-up work is central to practical measures for exogeoconservation, what research needs to be done to determine which scientific sites are protected – and in what way.
„A precautionary approach, international cooperation, legal rules and regulations, interdisciplinary work, and an understanding of the mistakes and successes that have occurred on Earth,” will ensure continued exploration of Mars’ external defense critical sites. and scientific studies.”
„Oddany rozwiązywacz problemów. Przyjazny hipsterom praktykant bekonu. Miłośnik kawy. Nieuleczalny introwertyk. Student.