Biological Contamination Prevention for Outer Solar System Moons of Astrobiological Interest: What Do We Need to Know?

To ensure that scientific investments in space exploration are not compromised by terrestrial contamination of celestial bodies, special care needs to be taken to preserve planetary conditions for future astrobiological exploration. Significant effort has been made and is being taken to address planetary protection in the context of inner Solar System exploration. In particular for missions to Mars, detailed internationally accepted guidelines have been established. For missions to the icy moons in the outer Solar System, Europa and Enceladus, the planetary protection requirements are so far based on a probabilistic approach and a conservative estimate of poorly known parameters. One objective of the European Commission-funded project, Planetary Protection of Outer Solar System, was to assess the existing planetary protection approach, to identify inherent knowledge gaps, and to recommend scientific investigations necessary to update the requirements for missions to the icy moons

Observation and integrated Earth-system science: a roadmap for 2016–2025

This report is the response to a request by the Committee on Space Research of the International Council for Science to prepare a roadmap on observation and integrated Earth-system science for the coming ten years. Its focus is on the combined use of observations and modelling to address the functioning, predictability and projected evolution of interacting components of the Earth system on timescales out to a century or so. It discusses how observations support integrated Earth-system science and its applications, and identifies planned enhancements to the contributing observing systems and other requirements for observations and their processing. All types of observation are considered, but emphasis is placed on those made from space. The origins and development of the integrated view of the Earth system are outlined, noting the interactions between the main components that lead to requirements for integrated science and modelling, and for the observations that guide and support them. What constitutes an Earth-system model is discussed. Summaries are given of key cycles within the Earth system. The nature of Earth observation and the arrangements for international coordination essential for effective operation of global observing systems are introduced. Instances are given of present types of observation, what is already on the roadmap for 2016–2025 and some of the issues to be faced. Observations that are organised on a systematic basis and observations that are made for process understanding and model development, or other research or demonstration purposes, are covered. Specific accounts are given for many of the variables of the Earth system. The current status and prospects for Earth-system modelling are summarized. The evolution towards applying Earth-system models for environmental monitoring and prediction as well as for climate simulation and projection is outlined. General aspects of the improvement of models, whether through refining the representations of processes that are already incorporated or through adding new processes or components, are discussed. Some important elements of Earth-system models are considered more fully. Data assimilation is discussed not only because it uses observations and models to generate datasets for monitoring the Earth system and for initiating and evaluating predictions, in particular through reanalysis, but also because of the feedback it provides on the quality of both the observations and the models employed. Inverse methods for surface-flux or model-parameter estimation are also covered. Reviews are given of the way observations and the processed datasets based on them are used for evaluating models, and of the combined use of observations and models for monitoring and interpreting the behaviour of the Earth system and for predicting and projecting its future. A set of concluding discussions covers general developmental needs, requirements for continuity of space-based observing systems, further long-term requirements for observations and other data, technological advances and data challenges, and the importance of enhanced international co-operation

PPOSS - PLANETARY PROTECTION OF OUTER SOLAR SYSTEM EC H2020 PROJECT

The PPOSS (Planetary Protection of Outer Solar System bodies) project, coordinated by the European Science Foundation was selected by the European Commission in August 2015 following the Horizon 2020 call `Space-Competitiveness of the European Space Sector-2015'. In addition to the European Science Foundation, DLR, COSPAR, Imperial College London, EUROSPACE, INAF and Space Technology Ireland Ltd. are also part of the project consortium and PPOSS also has several international partners and observers. PPOSS will run for three years (2016-2018) and has for main objectives to provide an interna- tional forum to consider and approach the specificity of Planetary Protection (biological and organic contamination) for outer Solar system bodies, including icy worlds and small bodies, in the general context of Planetary Protection regulation. While significant effort has been, and is being provided to address planetary protection in the context of the exploration of inner Solar System bodies, and in particular Mars, PPOSS would allow to tackle the scientific, technological and policy-making specificity of Planetary Protection of outer solar system bodies. Project findings will be considered in the general context of the international planetary protection landscape and presented to COSPAR PPP..

CONSIDERING PLANETARY PROTECTION OF OUTER SPACE BODIES - THE EUROPEAN PPOSS PROJECT

The PPOSS (Planetary Protection of Outer Solar System bodies) project, coordinated by the European Science Foundation is supported by the European Commission Horizon 2020 programme. This project kicked-off in January 2016 and will last for three years. The PPOSS project intends to consider how planetary protection policy has been developed and is being implemented, it will look at case studies, lessons learnt and good practices in order to produce a Planetary Protection handbook that will be widely disseminated. The project will also look forward and address the complex issues of organic and biological contamination of outer solar system bodies, in particular small bodies and moons of gas giant planets. PPOSS will identify knowledge gaps, propose scientific goals and suggest activities to overcome the main hurdles to reach these goals. Besides scientific issues, PPOSS will consider the European engineering landscape and the capacity of the European industry to meet the challenges raised by planetary protection of outer solar system bodies, an engineering roadmap will result from this effort. As a one of the main outcomes, the PPOSS project will eventually review the international planetary protection regulation structure, process and categorization related to outer solar system bodies, it will suggest policy improvements to COSPAR Panel on Planetary Protection. PPOSS is implemented by a consortium of seven European and international organisations (European Science Foundation, DLR, COSPAR, Eurospace, INAF, Space Technology Ireland, Imperial College) as well as by international partners, including the Chinese Academy of Sciences and China Academy of Space Technology. The project intends to broaden its international footprint and allow a dedicated forum to address the scientific, technical and policy challenges raised by planetary protection of outer solar system bodies

PLANETARY PROTECTION OF OUTER SOLAR SYSTEM

The PPOSS project (Planetary Protection of Outer Solar System) is an initiative supported by the European Commission under the Horizon 2020 programme. PPOSS focuses on planetary protection of outer solar bodies, in particular icy moons, and tackles scientific, technological and policy-making challenges raised by this topic. This intensive three year programme will provide an international platform and forum where science, industry and policy actors will meet to nurture and catalyse discussions, exchange of knowledge and produce policy recommendations on the matter of planetary protection. Space exploration missions are international endeavours and planetary protection is by nature an issue of global relevance. Thus, the PPOSS project will promote international cooperation bringing partners and observers from non-European countries

SEARCH FOR LIFE ON ICY MOONS - WHAT DO WE NEED TO KNOW FOR PLANETARY PROTECTION?

Planetary protection aims at the preservation of our ability to study planets and moons of astrobiological interest as they exist in their natural state. The contamination with Earth organisms and organics (potential biosignatures) would give false positive results with severe impacts on future exploratory missions. In addition, the Earth's biosphere has to be protected in case of returning extraterrestrial samples. In the past COSPAR's planetary protection policy has mainly focused on the prevention of biological contamination. While the requirements for Mars and the guidelines for their implementation are based on decades of experience the necessary measures for outer solar system bodies, here especially Europa and Enceladus, are less developed. They are based on conservative estimates of poorly known parameters. In the PPOSS project (EC H2020 Grant Agreement 687373) the actual knowledge of the environmental conditions on icy moons and other outer solar system bodies, the geological processes restructuring the icy moons' surfaces and the effects of these environmental parameters on Earth organisms with respect to their capability to survive and to replicate are critically looked at to identify knowledge gaps, recommend further scientifc investigations to specify the requirements in more detail, to identify necessary technological developments and to suggest updates of COSPAR's planetary protection policy. These activities will be summarized in a Research White Book that will be available end 2017

The COSPAR Capacity Building Initiative

The Capacity Building Programme (CBP) is considered today one of the flagships of COSPAR (Committeeon Space Research) activities. The programme started in 2001 as a tentative project designed to widen expertise in space sciences and promote the use of data archives from space missions in developing countries, as a way to foster in those regions of the world high quality scientific activities. In the past 19 years a total of 35 COSPAR workshops have been held, involving more than 1000 advanced students and young researchers in 21 different developing countries. Participants have learnt in a highly practical manner how to analyse data from diverse space missions, covering practically all Space Science disciplines, from Astronomy to Earth Observation, from Solar Physics to Planetary Sciences, including Ionosphere, Magnetospheric sciences and even Planetary Crystallography. A key tothe success of the CBP has been the strong and selfless engagement of internationally high ranked scientists as well as of the space agencies, ESA, NASA and JAXA. I will discuss in this presentation the history and current status of the Programme, but emphasise the changes we are introducing to make it better, more efficient and wider in scope. </div

Rift Valley Fever Outbreak, Mayotte, France, 2018–2019

International audienceFrom November 2018 through July 2019, an outbreak of Rift Valley fever in humans occurred in Mayotte, France; 142 cases were confirmed. Exposure to animals or their biological fluid was reported by 73% of patients. Health authorities have been implementing control measures, including veterinary surveys, vector control interventions, and prevention measures

Hygiene promotion might be better than serological screening to deal with Cytomegalovirus infection during pregnancy: a methodological appraisal and decision analysis

International audienceAbstract Background Cytomegalovirus infection is the most frequent viral congenital infection, with possible consequences such as deafness, or psychomotor retardation. In 2016, the French High Council of Public Health was mandated to update recommendations regarding prevention of cytomegalovirus infection in pregnant women. We summarize a critical appraisal of knowledge and deterministic decision analysis comparing the current no-screening situation to serological screening during pregnancy, and to hygiene promotion. Methods Screening was defined as systematic serological testing, during the first trimester, with repeated tests as needed, to all pregnant women. Outcomes were: 1) severe sequela: intellectual deficiency with IQ ≤ 50 or hearing impairment < 70 dB or sight impairment (≤ 3/10 at best eye); 2) moderate sequela: any level of intellectual, hearing or sight deficiency; and 3) death or termination of pregnancy. We simulated the one-year course of cytomegalovirus infection in a cohort of 800,000 pregnant women. We developed a deterministic decision model, using best and min-max estimates, extracted from systematic reviews or original studies. Results Relevant data were scarce or imprecise. We estimated that 4352 maternal primary infections would result in 1741 foetal infections, and an unknown number of maternal reinfections would result in 1699 foetal infections. There would be 788 cytomegalovirus-related consequences, including 316 foetal deaths or terminations of pregnancy, and 424 moderate and 48 severe sequelae. Screening would result in a 1.66-fold increase of poor outcomes, mostly related to a 2.93-fold increase in deaths and terminations of pregnancy, not compensated by the decrease in severe symptomatic newborns. The promotion of hygiene would result in a 0.75-fold decrease of poor outcomes, related to both a decrease in severe sequelae among symptomatic newborns ( RR = 0.75; min-max: 1.00–0.68), and in deaths and terminations of pregnancy ( RR = 0.75; min-max: 0.97–0.68). Conclusions Prevention of cytomegalovirus infection during pregnancy should promote hygiene; serological screening should not be recommended