In article ,
Tom Merkle wrote:
After all, the quarantiners will say, if Nozomi can fail and plow into
Mars, possibly spreading earth bacteria, what's to prevent a Mars
return vehicle from doing the same thing to earth, resulting in
AAAAAAHHHH! The Andromeda Strain!

Under current design notions, the only (possible) Mars bugs aboard the
return vehicle will be within its sample capsule, which will be designed
for reentry and smashdown (undecelerated landing -- no parachute to fail)
anyway. No other part of the return vehicle will actually have been on
the surface of Mars; the sample can gets transferred from ascent vehicle
to return vehicle in Mars orbit.
--
MOST launched 30 June; first light, 29 July; 5arcsec | Henry Spencer
pointing, 10 Sept; first science, early Oct; all well. |