Ask the Experts: Protecting our Solar System

The Open University's Faculty of STEM are bringing you a hybrid edition of Ask the Experts! Whether you join us at the Geological Society in London or online, you can engage with our panel. Please note that in-person tickets are limited, but we can accommodate larger numbers online. Please book the correct tickets, as each ticket type will receive different information.
About the event:
Finding life beyond Earth is a key objective of many current and future space exploration missions. But how can we be sure that if we detect life, the spacecraft hasn't taken it there? “Planetary protection” principles safeguard Solar System bodies from contamination by Earth life and protect Earth from possible life forms that may be returned from other Solar System bodies.

This event brings together some of the world’s foremost experts on planetary protection to explore what is meant by planetary protection, how the latest research is used to develop guidelines for missions, how these might differ depending on which planetary environment is the mission target, and what the future of planetary protection might look like as the space sector expands.