Planetary protection policy for MUSES-C

Abstract

MUSES-C is a Japanese sample return mission to a near-earth asteroid 1998 SF36(25143). This object is S-type and spectrally similar to L- and LL-type chondrites. Part of this mission is collaborated with NASA and Australia, and international consensus on the planetary protection policy for it was strongly required as well as the NASA policy. The mission plan of MUSES-C and the properties of the targeted asteroid were reviewed in a NASA Planetary Protection Advisory Committee meeting and a COSPAR/IAU workshop. Both bodies classified this mission as Category V with unrestricted earth return.