Baecher Appointed to NASA Committee

Gregory Baecher, G.L. Martin Institute Professor of Engineering, has been appointed to the Planetary Protection Subcommittee of NASA's Science Mission Directorate. The committee, which includes representatives of industry, academe and government, assesses issues and risks of biological contamination for planetary missions, and for biological contamination associated with the launch and return of spacecraft in interplanetary missions and their potential failure modes.

The committee is currently focusing on the Mars Sample Return Mission. This flagship mission calls for five spacecraft: an Earth/Mars transfer stage, a Mars orbiter, a descent module, an ascent module and an Earth re-entry vehicle.

(News item source: NASA press release)

Published February 5, 2008