Planetary Protection Authority

BIOauthorityUnion-wide competence

The Planetary Protection Authority independently guards against contamination and the loss of unique scientific evidence. It serves the public through protected-site findings, while dealing directly with mission custodians, laboratories, gateways and project sponsors. It is deliberately outside a sponsor's delivery chain.

Choose your route

Office output: Protected-site finding

Research and civic organisations

SVC-034 / Specialist intake

Access an ocean-world research site

Decision owner: Planetary Protection Authority

Stages and exceptions Prepare a draft

SVC-035 / Specialist intake

Return a extraterrestrial sample

Decision owner: Planetary Protection Authority

Stages and exceptions Prepare a draft

SVC-036 / Competent referral

Propose a Mars engineering trial

Decision owner: Planetary Engineering & Terraforming Commission

Stages and exceptions Prepare a draft

SVC-045 / Competent referral

Request public records

Decision owner: Archives, Libraries & Memory Commission

Stages and exceptions Prepare a draft

SVC-041 / Competent referral

Obtain legal aid remotely

Decision owner: Justice & Legal Cooperation Commission

Stages and exceptions Prepare a draft

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People and households

SVC-045 / Competent referral

Request public records

Decision owner: Archives, Libraries & Memory Commission

Stages and exceptions Prepare a draft

SVC-041 / Competent referral

Obtain legal aid remotely

Decision owner: Justice & Legal Cooperation Commission

Stages and exceptions Prepare a draft

Browse all procedures for this group →

Companies and cooperatives

SVC-034 / Specialist intake

Access an ocean-world research site

Decision owner: Planetary Protection Authority

Stages and exceptions Prepare a draft

SVC-035 / Specialist intake

Return a extraterrestrial sample

Decision owner: Planetary Protection Authority

Stages and exceptions Prepare a draft

SVC-036 / Competent referral

Propose a Mars engineering trial

Decision owner: Planetary Engineering & Terraforming Commission

Stages and exceptions Prepare a draft

SVC-045 / Competent referral

Request public records

Decision owner: Archives, Libraries & Memory Commission

Stages and exceptions Prepare a draft

SVC-041 / Competent referral

Obtain legal aid remotely

Decision owner: Justice & Legal Cooperation Commission

Stages and exceptions Prepare a draft

Browse all procedures for this group →

Public administrations

SVC-034 / Specialist intake

Access an ocean-world research site

Decision owner: Planetary Protection Authority

Stages and exceptions Prepare a draft

SVC-035 / Specialist intake

Return a extraterrestrial sample

Decision owner: Planetary Protection Authority

Stages and exceptions Prepare a draft

INT-002 / Specialist intake

Transfer protected research custody

Decision owner: Planetary Protection Authority

Stages and exceptions Prepare a draft

SVC-036 / Competent referral

Propose a Mars engineering trial

Decision owner: Planetary Engineering & Terraforming Commission

Stages and exceptions Prepare a draft

SVC-045 / Competent referral

Request public records

Decision owner: Archives, Libraries & Memory Commission

Stages and exceptions Prepare a draft

Browse all procedures for this group →

Clean access, containment and sample custody

Teams assess forward contamination, returning samples, ocean-world access, containment research and responses to evidence that could require a change of scientific posture. Mission records state the actual activity: access, sampling, penetration, transport, analysis or release. Each can have a different admissibility and custody requirement.

The powers we hold and the powers we refer

A research award, customs receipt or regional logistics permit cannot replace the Authority's finding. Scientific access does not automatically authorise irreversible release. Science & Discovery Commission owns research evaluation, Customs & Border Services Agency gateway custody and Bioethics & Future Generations Council relevant ethical findings. Protection dissent and unresolved conditions remain visible in the record.

A case in practice

Illustrative case / BIO

A team redesigns an instrument after receiving a clean-access decision. The Authority examines the changed contamination pathway and can require a revised finding before deployment. Approved logistics work continues only within its own uncontested scope; schedule pressure is not treated as evidence of containment.