FACACLASSIC

Note: An Annual Comprehensive Review, as required by §7 of the Federal Advisory Committee Act, is conducted each year on committee data entered for the previous fiscal year (referred to as the reporting year). The data for the reporting year is not considered verified until this review is complete and the data is moved to history for an agency/department. See the Data From Previous Years section at the bottom of this page for the committee’s historical, verified data.

Details on agency responses to committee recommendations can be found under the Performance Measures section for each committee in the fields “Agency Feedback” and “Agency Feedback Comment.”

NASA - 10722 - Planetary Protection Advisory Committee - Agency Authority

GENERAL INFORMATION

Committee Name	Planetary Protection Advisory Committee	Agency Name	National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Fiscal Year	2005	Committee Number	10722
Original Establishment Date	4/24/1997	Committee Status	Terminated
Actual Termination Date	9/20/2005	Committee URL
Actual Merged Date		Presidential Appointments*	No
New Committee This FY	No	Max Number of Members*	Unlimited
Terminated This FY	Yes	Designated Fed Officer Position Title*	DFO
Merged This FY		Designated Federal Officer Prefix	Dr.
Current Charter Date	4/29/2005	Designated Federal Officer First Name*	John
Date Of Renewal Charter	4/29/2007	Designated Federal Officer Middle Name	D.
Projected Termination Date		Designated Federal Officer Last Name*	Rummel
Exempt From Renewal*	No	Designated Federal Officer Suffix
Specific Termination Authority	NASA Strategic Management Council, Meeting Minutes	Designated Federal Officer Phone*	(202) 358-0702
Establishment Authority*	Agency Authority	Designated Federal Officer Fax*	202-358-4118
Specific Establishment Authority*	Public 85-568, As Amended, Section 203 (c)(7)	Designated Federal Officer Email*	john.d.rummel@nasa.gov
Effective Date Of Authority*	4/24/1997
Exempt From EO 13875 Discretionary Cmte
Committee Type*	Continuing
Presidential*	No
Committee Function*	Scientific Technical Program Advisory Board

RECOMMENDATION/JUSTIFICATIONS

Agency Recommendation*	Terminate
Legislation to Terminate Required	No
Legislation Status	Enacted
How does cmte accomplish its purpose?*	The Committee advised the NASA Administrator through the NASA Advisory Council on Agency programs, policies, plans, and other matters pertinent to the Agency's responsibilities for biological planetary protection, as defined in NPD 8020.7, including NASA planetary protection policy documents and components, implementation plans, and organization. The Committee provided a forum for advice on interagency coordination and intergovernmental planning related to planetary protection. The Committee reviewed and recommended appropriate planetary protection categorizations for all bodies of the solar system to which spacecraft will be sent. The scope of the Committee's responsibilities did not include issues that pertain solely to the quality and interpretation of scientific experiments and data.
How is membership balanced?*	The Committee consisted of 15 to 20 members selected to ensure a balanced representation among industry, academia, and Government. The Committee members, collectively, had the skills and capabilities to assess the issues and risks of forward and backward biological contamination for planetary missions and for biological contamination associated with the launch and return of spacecraft in interplanetary missions and their potential failure modes. At least four of the Committee members were persons knowledgeable in one or more of the fields of bioethics, law, public attitudes and the communication of science, the Earth’s environment, or related fields.
How frequent & relevant are cmte mtgs?*	NASA’s policy on planetary protection is essential to comply with the provisions of the 1967 United Nations Outer Space Treaty, which limits contamination of other solar-system bodies as well as harmful contamination of the Earth’s biosphere caused by materials from space. NASA’s policy imposes constraints on spacecraft involved in solar system exploration that depend on the nature of the mission and the identity of the target body or bodies. These constraints take into account current scientific knowledge about the target bodies through recommendations from both internal and external advisory groups, but most notably from the Space Studies Board of the National Academy of Sciences, which serves as the principal external advisory body in this area. In a series of recent reports, however, the Space Studies Board has called for NASA to establish, as an internally based advisory committee, a panel of experts, including representatives of relevant governmental and scientific bodies…as soon as possible once serious planning for a Mars sample-return mission has begun,…to advise NASA on the implementation of planetary protection measures for sample-return missions and an advisory committee with expertise in the planetary and biological sciences…when developing protocols and methods to examine returned samples for indicators of past or present extraterrestrial life forms. This committee was intended to meet this recommendation.
Why advice can't be obtained elsewhere?*	The committee provided advice on NASA’s internal programs, policies, plans, and other matters pertinent to the Agency’s responsibilities for planetary protection, complementing the Space Studies Board’s advisory role for specific, real-time advisory requirements. Advice spanned research and technology development in the areas of exobiology and solar system exploration; environmental microbiology; microbial assay and cleaning techniques; flight systems and engineering; international and domestic environmental law; and joint activities with other pertinent government agencies. This expertise was obtained in a context that is not conflicted by recommendations to accomplish specific science objectives, but in a context where non-contamination is the goal. Anticipated advice on sample return and other NEPA-sensitive issues dictated the establishment of a FACA-sanctioned group to perform this role. This work of this group could serve as a model for later interagency/international advisory group(s) on sample return missions.
Why close or partially close meetings?	No closed meetings were held.
Recommendation Remarks	This advisory committee was terminated as part of the overall NASA advisory committee restructuring effort that took place during 2005.

PERFORMANCE MEASURES

Outcome Improvement To Health Or Safety*	Yes	Action Reorganize Priorities*	No
Outcome Trust In Government	Yes	Action Reallocate Resources	No
Outcome Major Policy Changes	No	Action Issued New Regulations	No
Outcome Advance In Scientific Research	Yes	Action Proposed Legislation	No
Outcome Effective Grant Making	No	Action Approved Grants Or Other Payments	No
Outcome Improved Service Delivery	No	Action Other	Yes
Outcome Increased Customer Satisfaction	No	Action Comment	Determined specific applications of NSA's policy, and associated implementation restrictions.
Outcome Implement Laws/Reg Requirements	No	Grants Review*	No
Outcome Other	No	Number Of Grants Reviewed	0
Outcome Comment	NA	Number Of Grants Recommended	0
Cost Savings*	Unable to Determine	Dollar Value Of Grants Recommended	$0.00
Cost Savings Comment	NA	Grants Review Comment	NA
Number Of Recommendations*	3	Access Contact Designated Fed. Officer*	Yes
Number Of Recommendations Comment	NA	Access Agency Website	Yes
% of Recs Fully Implemented*	100.00%	Access Committee Website	Yes
% of Recs Fully Implemented Comment	NA	Access GSA FACA Website	No
% of Recs Partially Implemented*	0.00%	Access Publications	No
% of Recs Partially Implemented Comment	NA	Access Other	No
Agency Feedback*	Yes	Access Comment	NA
Agency Feedback Comment*	By subsequent meeting reports.	Narrative Description*	NASA's success in solar system exploration requires it to explore other worlds without biological cross-contamination. The Committee advises the NASA Administrator through the NASA Advisory Council on Agency programs, policies, plans, and other matters pertinent to the Agency's responsibilities for biological planetary protection, as defined in NPD 8020.7, including NASA planetary protection policy documents and components, implementation plans, and organization. The Committee provides a forum for advice on interagency coordination and intergovernmental planning related to planetary protection. The Committee reviews and recommends appropriate planetary protection categorizations for all bodies of the solar system to which spacecraft will be sent. The scope of the Committee's responsibilities do not include issues that pertain solely to the quality and interpretation of scientific experiments and data.

COSTS

1. Payments to Non-Federal Members*	$0.00	1. Est Paymnts to Non-Fed Membrs Nxt FY*	$0.00
2. Payments to Federal Members*	$14,000.00	2. Est. Payments to Fed Members Next FY*	$14,400.00
3. Payments to Federal Staff*	$19,800.00	3. Estimated Payments to Federal Staff*	$20,300.00
4. Payments to Consultants*	$0.00	4. Est. Payments to Consultants Next FY*	$0.00
5. Travel Reimb. For Non-Federal Membrs*	$25,200.00	5. Est Travel Reimb Non-Fed Membr nxtFY*	$36,500.00
6. Travel Reimb. For Federal Members*	$2,800.00	6. Est Travel Reimb For Fed Members*	$5,600.00
7. Travel Reimb. For Federal Staff*	$0.00	7. Est. Travel Reimb to Fed Staf Nxt FY*	$3,400.00
8. Travel Reimb. For Consultants*	$0.00	8. Est Travel Reimb to Consltnts Nxt FY*	$0.00
10. Other Costs	$16,874.00	10. Est. Other Costs Next FY*	$33,000.00
11. Total Costs	$78,674.00	11. Est. Total Next FY*	$113,200.00
Date Cost Last Modified		Est. Fed Staff Support Next FY*	1.00
Federal Staff Support (FTE)*	1.00	Est Cost Remarks
Cost Remarks

Interest Areas

No interest areas selected for this committee.

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