"Urgent Call: Protecting Earth from Space Pathogens"

NASA is responding to the Mars Sample Return Independent Review Board's report and outlining the next steps for the program. The Bipartisan Commission on Biodefense, led by former Democratic Congresswoman Donna Shalala and former Republican Congresswoman Susan Brooks, is calling for measures to defend Earth from potential space bugs that could be brought back from Mars or exist in space. They emphasize the need for coordination, collaboration, and investment in research and technology to prevent the contamination of extraterrestrial environments and protect Earth's inhabitants from potential space-related biological threats.