Abstract EANA2025-45

The ESA Explore 2040 vision articulates ambitious space exploration plans for the next decade and beyond, aiming to increase European autonomy and leadership in space. These plans include the search for extraterrestrial life, returning samples from outer space, the unprecedented desire for a stable European presence on the Moon’s surface and crewed missions to Mars. Planetary protection will be essential to put Europe at the forefront of sustainable and responsible space exploration.

The complexity of future missions calls for a modernization of current planetary protection methods and capabilities. A number of initiatives are being organised as part of the ESA planetary protection vision to lead a rethinking of current methods and to transition from prescriptive approaches to transparent risk-informed decision making frameworks

This work describes the activities put forward by the ESA to trigger modernisation of PP practices and standards, and taking into account the presence and importance of new strategic actors i.e. private sectors, to collaborate and develop sensible standards and requirements.