Spacecraft Contamination Control Challenges for Space Missions with Organic Compound Detection Capabilities and for Potential Sample Return

Spacecraft contamination control is critical to space exploration missions with organic compound detection capabilities, and also for missions targeting acquisition of samples for potential return to Earth. Significant challenges are being addressed and resolved in the design of current flight projects and conceptual mission studies at JPL. These challenges extend to both orbiting spacecraft, as well as landed missions, for future missions to Mars and Europa, and potential missions to Titan and Enceladus. Contamination control during all phases of a mission, from preliminary design through operation, is fundamental to ensure that organic compounds of terrestrial origin are controlled to ensure successful completion of science objectives. This paper examines contamination control challenges specific to landed missions (which include sample acquisition, encapsulation, caching, potential sample return, and UV instruments), and orbiting missions (modeling interactions between the spacecraft and local exospheres and plumes).