Is there a risk of Huygens contaminating Titan? Will Huygens carry bacteria from Earth or pollute Titan?
The international scientific organisation COSPAR (Committee on Space Research) has established strict requirements for an adequate ‘planetary protection’. Accordingly, a planetary protection plan including the documentation of all material sent to Titan for Huygens was submitted and accepted. Given the fact that Titan is too cold and that there is no liquid water for life as we know it to evolve, the risk of contamination is practically non-existing. The harsh environment is expected to kill microorganisms that may have hitchhiked from Earth on board the clean spaceprobe.
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- Is there a risk of Huygens contaminating Titan? Will Huygens carry bacteria from Earth or pollute Titan?
