The COSPAR Planetary Protection Requirements for Space Missions to Mars

The Committee on Space Research’s (COSPAR) Planetary Protection Policy (herein referred to as the Policy) has been developed through deliberation between the scientific community and the national space agencies to 1) ensure that scientific investigations of possible extra-terrestrial life forms, precursors, and remnants are not jeopardized; and 2) Earth is protected from the potential hazard posed by extra-terrestrial matter carried by a spacecraft returning from an interplanetary mission (COSPAR 2020).The COSPAR Panel on Planetary Protection (herein referred to as the Panel)regularly updates the Policy based on workshops and activities that are led by the community, or by national committees. For example, the requirements for the icy moons of the outer Solar System have been scrutinized as part of a European Commission’s H2020 Programme (Rettberg et al 2019) and a National Research Council report (NRC 2012), which led to recommendations being made to COSPAR, which resulted in an update to the regulations (COSPAR 2020). Another example is the recent update of the regulations relating to the moon. The Panel conducted a dedicated community consultation that led to an updated Policy (COSPAR, 2021). [...

Identity, Empathy and Argument: Immigrants in Culture and Entertainment Journalism in the Scandinavian Press

Cultural and entertainment journalism deals with aesthetic experiences, advice on cultural consumption, as well as reflection and debate on ethical and moral humanistic issues. Does this sub-field of journalism systematically represent immigrants and integration differently than the other news and commentary articles? Comparing immigration discourse in a representative sample of six Scandinavian newspapers between 1970 and 2016 using content analysis we find that cultural journalism, while clearly reverbing with the dominant national issues at the time, did provide alternative perspectives. It not only brought up themes like racism, multiculturalism, national identity and religion more often, but was also more positive, more gender-balanced and more often gave a voice to immigrants than other news did. A closer qualitative reading further suggests a typology of ten main story-types, varying relatively little over time and across national borders. Cultural journalism in this case illustrates how the cultural public sphere can positively contribute to the debate of complicated issues in the public sphere by offering resources for identification, empathy and arguments for specific points of view.publishedVersio

Genetics of circulating inflammatory proteins identifies drivers of immune-mediated disease risk and therapeutic targets

Circulating proteins have important functions in inflammation and a broad range of diseases. To identify genetic influences on inflammation-related proteins, we conducted a genome-wide protein quantitative trait locus (pQTL) study of 91 plasma proteins measured using the Olink Target platform in 14,824 participants. We identified 180 pQTLs (59 cis, 121 trans). Integration of pQTL data with eQTL and disease genome-wide association studies provided insight into pathogenesis, implicating lymphotoxin-alpha in multiple sclerosis. Using Mendelian randomization (MR) to assess causality in disease etiology, we identified both shared and distinct effects of specific proteins across immune-mediated diseases, including directionally discordant effects of CD40 on risk of rheumatoid arthritis versus multiple sclerosis and inflammatory bowel disease. MR implicated CXCL5 in the etiology of ulcerative colitis (UC) and we show elevated gut CXCL5 transcript expression in patients with UC. These results identify targets of existing drugs and provide a powerful resource to facilitate future drug target prioritization. Here the authors identify genetic effectors of the level of inflammation-related plasma proteins and use Mendelian randomization to identify proteins that contribute to immune-mediated disease risk

Planetary protection: an international concern and responsibility

Planetary protection is a set of measures agreed upon at an international level to ensure the protection of scientific investigation during space exploration. As space becomes more accessible with traditional and new actors launching complex and innovative projects that involve robotics (including sample return) and human exploration, we have the responsibility to protect the pristine environments that we explore and our own biosphere. In this sense, the Committee on Space Research (COSPAR) provides the international standard for planetary protection as well as a forum for international consultation. COSPAR has formulated a Planetary Protection Policy with associated requirements for responsible space exploration. Although not legally binding under international law, the standard offered by the Policy with its associated requirements is internationally endorsed along with implementation guidelines supplied for reference in support States’ compliance with Article IX of the United Nations Outer Space Treaty of 1967. Indeed, States parties to the Outer Space Treaty (under Article VI) are responsible for any space activities in their countries, governmental and non-governmental. The main goal of this Policy is to avoid compromising the search for any lifeforms on other celestial bodies and to protect the Earth from a potential threat posed by extraterrestrial samples returned by an interplanetary mission. The COSPAR Planetary Protection Policy has defined five categories, depending on the target and objective of the specific space mission. Associated to these categories are requirements are various degrees of rigor in the contamination control applied. The Policy is assessed regularly and updated with input from new scientific findings and in conjunction with the fast-evolving space exploration milieu. The COSPAR Panel on Planetary Protection (PPP) is a designated international committee composed of scientists, agency representatives and space experts. Its role is to support and revise the COSPAR Policy and its related requirements (https://cosparhq.cnes.fr/scientific-structure/panels/panel-on-planetary-protection-ppp/). The Panel’s activities deal with the individual needs of a space mission while exercising swift care and expertise to ensure sustainable exploration of the Solar System

The COSPAR planetary protection requirements for space missions to Venus

The Committee on Space Research's (COSPAR) Planetary Protection Policy states that all types of missions to Venus are classified as Category II, as the planet has significant research interest relative to the processes of chemical evolution and the origin of life, but there is only a remote chance that terrestrial contamination can proliferate and compromise future investigations. "Remote chance" essentially implies the absence of environments where terrestrial organisms could survive and replicate. Hence, Category II missions only require simplified planetary protection documentation, including a planetary protection plan that outlines the intended or potential impact targets, brief Pre- and Post-launch analyses detailing impact strategies, and a Post-encounter and End-of-Mission Report. These requirements were applied in previous missions and are foreseen for the numerous new international missions planned for the exploration of Venus, which include NASA's VERITAS and DAVINCI missions, and ESA's EnVision mission. There are also several proposed missions including India's Shukrayaan-1, and Russia's Venera-D. These multiple plans for spacecraft coincide with a recent interest within the scientific community regarding the cloud layers of Venus, which have been suggested by some to be habitable environments. The proposed, privately funded, MIT/Rocket Lab Venus Life Finder mission is specifically designed to assess the habitability of the Venusian clouds and to search for signs of life. It includes up to three atmospheric probes, the first one targeting a launch in 2023. The COSPAR Panel on Planetary Protection evaluated scientific data that underpins the planetary protection requirements for Venus and the implications of this on the current policy. The Panel has done a thorough review of the current knowledge of the planet's conditions prevailing in the clouds. Based on the existing literature, we conclude that the environmental conditions within the Venusian clouds are orders of magnitude drier and more acidic than the tolerated survival limits of any known terrestrial extremophile organism. Because of this future orbital, landed or entry probe missions to Venus do not require extra planetary protection measures. This recommendation may be revised in the future if new observations or reanalysis of past data show any significant increment, of orders of magnitude, in the water content and the pH of the cloud layer

Exploring the impact of fossil constraints on the divergence time estimates of derived liverworts

In this study, we evaluate the impact of fossil assignments and different models of calibration on divergence time estimates carried out as Bayesian analyses. Estimated ages from preceding studies and liverwort inclusions from Baltic amber are used as constraints on a molecular phylogeny of Cephaloziineae (Jungermanniopsida) obtained from sequences of two chloroplast coding regions: rbcL and psbA. In total, the comparison of 12 different analyses demonstrates that an increased reliability of the chronograms is linked to the number of fossils assigned and to the accuracy of their assignments. Inclusion of fossil constraints leads to older ages of most crown groups, but has no influence on lineage through time plots suggesting a nearly constant accumulation of diversity since the origin of Cephaloziineae in the early to Middle Jurassic. Our results provide a note of caution regarding the interpretation of chronograms derived from DNA sequence variation of extant species based on a single calibration point and/or low accuracy of the assignment of fossils to nodes in the phylogeny

The Digitalization of the Physical Clothing Store : From a Customer and Staff Perspective

Societal digitization profoundly influences the retail sector, driven by mobile devices and internet connectivity. This shift alters consumer behaviors, emphasizing accessibility and efficiency, compelling retailers to swiftly adapt. Consequently, physical stores integrate digital technologies such as self-checkout and mobile applications, blending e-commerce strengths with traditional shopping experiences. This study investigates the challenges and opportunities associated with digital tool adoption in physical clothing stores, considering customer and staff experiences. Utilizing triangulations methodology, including qualitative interviews, systematic observations and related research. The results of this study partly indicate a lack of competence development concerning digital tools among the staff in the clothing store. This inadequacy contributes to a heightened level of stress among employees who are tasked with acquainting both themselves and customer with emerging technologies. Moreover the study delves into the potential avenues for optimizing both customer and staff experience. In the light of these revelations it is apparent that the clothing retailer must prioritize initiatives aimed at enhancing the competency levels of its workforce, particularly in areas pertinent to the assimilation of new technologies. Additionally a thorough analysis of customer expectations when visiting the store is necessary.

The COSPAR Panel on Planetary Protection Show affiliations

International audienceThe international standard for planetary protection has been developed by the Committee on Space Research (COSPAR) which provides a forum for internationalconsultation and has formulated a Planetary Protection Policy with associated requirements that are put in place after examination of the most updated relevant scientificstudies and recommendations made by the COSPAR Panel on Planetary Protection [1]. The COSPAR Planetary Protection Policy, and its associated requirements, is notlegally binding under international law but it is an internationally agreed standard with implementation guidelines for compliance with Article IX of the Outer Space Treaty. States Parties to the Outer Space Treaty are responsible for national space activities under Article VI, including the activities of governmental and non-governmental entities. It is the State that ultimately will be held responsible for wrongful acts committed by its jurisdictional subjects. The current members of the COSPAR Panel on Planetary Protection are thematic experts from the science community of different countries (e.g. China, France, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, the Russian Federation and the United States) and representatives from their national space agencies and other stakeholders for a total of about 20 members (co-authors of this article [2]). The structure and composition of the panel can be found at the COSPAR web site dedicated page: https://cosparhq.cnes.fr/scientific-structure/ppp. The COSPAR Panel on Planetary Protection maintains and updates the COSPAR Planetary Protection Policy, and its associated requirements, regularly in various ways. For instance, when a space mission is being developed, the project team may present a request to the PPP with a specific combination of mission architecture or targets. In other cases, newscientific results have come forward showing that there is a need for a change or an adaptation/update of some part of the policy. In all cases, the Panel will review all available scientific knowledge through existing or commandeered studies performed by a group or committee of experts who review the information and make a recommendation to the Panel. Following recent developements, the COSPAR Policy on Planetary Protection has been updated [3,4]. Workshops, dedicated scientific and technical meetings and independent peer review are all integral part in updating the COSPAR Planetary Protection Policy, and its associated requirements. Taking these documented inputs into account, the Panel will recommend (or not) to the COSPAR Bureau and Council possible modifications to the policy. Such updates are done in a careful and balanced way to ensure that the right measures are envisaged to fulfil the rationales for planetary protection. The purpose obviously is to respond to the needs of space missions, while applying due diligence and expertise in the process. At the end the updated Policy is published. We will describe the most recent work of the Panel and the current processes in place

The challenge of planetary protection

International audienceAstronautics Scientists and engineers are keen to explore our universe, carry out scientific investigations and make use of space resources. In the 60 or so years of robotic exploration of the solar system, this urge has pushed humanity forward and given us, among other things, a considerably enhanced understanding of our neighbourhood and of the origin of life on our planet. It comes, however, with a responsibility to avoid harmful contamination of outer space and the need to ensure safety of the Earth. The authors address the concerns and challenges of 'planetary protection'. investigations of the extraterrestrial samples and the trailing edge of an atypical flu season a coincidence? Has there been sufficient scrutiny of the lab's activities by public authorities and do we really know that the extraterrestrial material brought to Earth is not dangerous? This hypothetical scenario provides an understanding of the seriousness of what planetary protection stands for. It is precisely why planetary protection measures have been in place for more than half a century and why the COmmittee on SPAce Research (COSPAR) has a dedicated panel of experts who make recommendations for the maintenance and updating of these measures. P lanetary protection is a system of agreed international guidelines applied in the exploration and use of space in order to avoid contamination of the Earth or compromise the search for extraterrestrial life in the solar system. Let's imagine that a research laboratory, selected to make preliminary examinations of samples from Mars, finds that a number of its researchers begin developing flu-like symptoms. It is late winter and this is not uncommon, in particular in a campus-like environment, but after a few weeks more and more people show symptoms and this attracts the attention of local public health officials and the media. Are the firs

Recent updates in the COSPAR Planetary Protection Policy

International audienc