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EXCERPT:
A new policy paper argues that a future NASA base on the moon should include a specialized biocontainment facility designed to keep Earth safe from any potentially hazardous biological material brought back from space.
The proposal comes as scientists and space agencies prepare for more ambitious missions that could return samples from the moon, Mars, and other destinations across the solar system.
“Humanity is entering a new era of space exploration, but our planetary protection strategies have not kept pace with the risks associated with returning extraterrestrial samples to Earth,” said paper co-author Frederick I. Moxley, Director of Strategic Threat Analysis and Research Laboratories, an Idaho-based consultancy.
