Planetary Protection Flight Facility

Advanced Microbial Analysis for Planetary Protection in Spacecraft and Cleanroom Environments
The Planetary Protection Facility at Goddard Space Flight Center conducts low biomass sampling and cultivation methods of microorganisms common to cleanroom and spacecraft manufacturing environments. Specifically, culture-based methods for spore-forming microorganisms as well as non-culture based analyses of microorganisms common to cleanroom environments or other low-biomass environments. These methods are most commonly used at NASA for bioassay sampling on spacecraft where planetary protection (PP) requirements must be met according to the mission category requirements set forth by the NASA Headquarters Office of Planetary Protection. By using this facility, partners can assess their bioburden requirements for ensuring mission success and adherence to NASA documentation.
