Pollution in space

Now that human activity has extended beyond the Earth, it is time to consider the contamination problems involved. The problem may be divided into two parts: contamination of the Earth by material brought from space or from another planet; and contamination of other worlds by Earth bacteria. It is concluded that although the dangers of contaminating the Earth are very remote, they do exist, and that all precautions must therefore be taken. Contamination of other worlds would be scientifically disastrous; the danger is slight for the sterile Moon, but is appreciable for planets such as Venus and Mars, which have atmospheres

Astrobiology · Astronomy · Biology · Contamination · Contamination control · Earth (classical element) · Mars Exploration Program · Physics · Planet · Space (punctuation) · Computer Science · Ecology · Environmental Science · Pollution · Space exploration and regulation · Space Science and Extraterrestrial Life