posted on Jan, 26 2013 @ 11:46 AM
Apparently when the Curiosity rover was built on earth, there was some mishandling that could lead to a hiatus of the mission if a potential water
source is found. The rovers have all been built in clean rooms, to prevent contamination, and to ensure that possible life on Mars started on Mars
and wasn't transplanted.
During assembly of the Curiosity rover, there was potential contamination. They were able to certify it for landing, instead of forcing a two year
delay to ensure it was clean. The rover is fully compliant with international protocols in place since Viking, but one of the potentially
contaminated parts is the drill that would be used to get to water.
The area it is in is supposed to be dry, but apparently NASA has been surprised at what they have found since landing. The area shows evidence of
several formerly wet environments.
For an equatorial landing, the rover must have no more than 300 bacterial spores per square meter, or 500,000 spores for the vehicle. There were
problems with the wheels, insulating blankets in the heat shield, and paperwork issues to show that the vehicle met standards. Since they were
landing in Gale Crater, they were able to reclassify the landing to a less rigorous requirement. However, since landing, they have found significant
evidence of prior rivers.
An apparent lack of rigor in maintaining cleanliness on the Curiosity rover while it was being assembled may one day force a hiatus in its use to
explore Mars, if its instruments detect the possibility that life-supporting water exists nearby.
NASA's planetary protection officer, the scientist in charge of ensuring U.S. terrestrial probes do not contaminate celestial bodies, certified
Curiosity for landing only because it was targeted on an equatorial crater that is unlikely to harbor subsurface water. Had planetary scientists
chosen another landing site, mishandling of the rover's wheels and drill bits on Earth might have forced a two-year slip in launching until the next
NASA officials, including Planetary Protection Officer Catharine Conley, stress that Curiosity is “fully compliant” with international protocols
dating back to the Viking missions. Those standards were designed to ensure that any life found on Mars originated there, and did not arrive on the
lander that found it or an earlier robotic visitor from Earth.
However, if Curiosity turns up evidence of contemporary water or ice as it explores Gale Crater, it may be commanded to back off from the potentially
life-sustaining area while astrobiologists and planetary scientists ponder whether the rover could “forward contaminate” Mars.