REAL LIFE NEWS: STERILISING A SPACE FACILITY
by Hazed
The European Space Agency is planning another trip to Mars, to deliver a rover called ExoMars which will search for signs of past and present life. The mission will kick off in 2018.
The rover is going to be built in an aerospace laboratory in the UK, and prior to any of the parts being brought into the facility, it’s going to get a three-month-long deep clean, so that it’s spotless and sterile. This is to make sure that ExoMars doesn’t carry any bugs from Earth.
Technicians will be running a special air-filtration system, and will conduct regular disinfection, to try to reduce the quantity of bacteria, mould, and other unwanted lifeforms present in the lab. Workers will have to wear full protective clothing to avoid bio-contamination: a suit with a hood and a mask, shoes and gloves.
The disinfectants used must be changed regularly to ensure bacteria don’t develop resistance – just as should happen in a health lab or on an acute hospital ward.
ExoMars needs to be built by the end of 2017 so that it’s ready to take off in May 2018. There will be a webcam in the facility so you’ll be able to watch the rover being assembled from the comfort of your own armchair.
Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-32847369
