PASADENA: NASA'sMars 2020 rover will head off for the Red Planet next year. But like Voyager,Galileo and Cassini before it, the mission's epic journey began in a"clean room" in California. One of two ultra-sterile labs used forspacecraft assembly at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, on theoutskirts of Los Angeles, the eggshell-white room was briefly and exceptionallyopened to journalists Friday.
"We need tokeep the hardware as pristine and as safe as possible until we get toMars," said David Gruel, operations manager for Mars 2020. The Mars roverwill collect samples on the planet in the search for traces of microbial lifepotentially dating back billions of years. Journalists had to go through alengthy sterilization process before entering the room "so we actually arebringing samples back from Mars, and not bringing back hair from my body orsome skin from somebody else's body," explained Gruel.
Automated shoebrushes and sticky mats remove particles from shoes before guests even reachthe locker room. To prevent contamination, visitors must then don a "bunnysuit" -- sleeves sealed with adhesive tape -- along with face masks, latexgloves and even beard protectors for the more hirsute.
Finally, theypass beneath a pulsating "air shower" that blasts away the lastunwanted particles. The rover itself is regularly scrubbed with isopropylalcohol and a microfiber mop, and the lab's air is filtered 70 times per hour.Journalists invited by NASA also had to remove foam covers from theirmicrophones -- a breeding ground for germs. Specially approved paper and penswere provided, in place of traditional writing implements which can shed dustand other particles.
Guests are alsotold to refrain from wearing any makeup or perfume. Technicians working oncrucial sampling equipment are often subject to even more stringent protocols."They can't take a shower, bathe the day they work on the hardware,"Gruel said. "They can't put any hair products into their hair to style it,they can only wear one or two types of deodorant." It is all a far cryfrom the early days of space exploration.
Engineers wouldfrequently light up cigarettes while building the Ranger rockets that paved theway for the Apollo moon missions. Costly mistakes have led to more caution. Abid to sterilize the Ranger 3 mission in 1962 accidentally fried the rocket'selectronics, causing it to miss the Moon by more than 20,000 miles. - AFP