Contamination from the Moon

Biological Contamination of the Moon.

12 Kuiper, G. P., these PROCEEDINGS, 40, 1096 (1954). 13 Fox, S. W., Am. Scientist, 44, 347 (1956); Harada, K., and S. W. Fox, Arch. Biochem. Biophys., 86, 274 (1960). 14 Gordy, W., W. B. Ard, and H. Shields, these PROCEEDINGS, 41, 983 (1955). 16 Sagan, C., Evolution, 11, 40 (1957). 16 Whipple, F. L., in Vistas in Astronautics, eds. M. Alperin and H. F. Gregory (New York: Pergamon Press, 1959),...

Thermal Infrared Data from the Moon: Hazards

Introduction: Earth’s relatively clear thermal infrared (TIR) atmospheric windows correspond to the wavelength region of maximum emitted energy for the global average temperature (8-12 μm) as well as the temperature of most volcanoes/fires (3-5 μm). Furthermore, a majority of minerals have diagnostic emissivity spectra in the 8-12 μm region, making it excellent for the study of surface composit...

Zircon from the Moon , Earth and Mars

PSRD: Recent Gas Escape from the Moon

The Moon is generally thought to be geologically inactive, except for being pummeled by meteoroids of various sizes. The youngest returned igneous rocks are about 3 billion years old, although crater counting suggest some lava flows as young as a billion years. However, Peter Schultz (Brown University), Matthew Staid (Planetary Sciences Institute, Tucson), and Carlé Pieters (Brown University) r...

In Situ Biological Contamination Studies of the Moon; Implications for Planetary Protection and Life Detection Missions

?abstract NASA and ESA have outlined visions for solar system exploration that will include a series of lunar robotic precursor missions to prepare for, and support a human return to the Moan, and future human exploration of Mars and other destinations, including possibly asteroids. One of the guiding principles for exploration is to pursue compelling scientific questions about the origin and e...