Opportunity To Apply To A New International Mars Exploration Working Group on Planetary Protection

The IMEWG (International Mars Exploration Working Group) is planning to stand up a sub-working group to identify international science and planetary protection goals and scope priorities in the upcoming transition period to a future robotic and crewed synergistic exploration of Mars.

This group will operate through regular virtual meetings over an approximately one-year period (through September 2026), with an in-person working meeting scheduled at the midpoint (in March/April 2026).

If you are interested in volunteering to be a part of this group, please prepare a motivation letter and brief CV (details below) and send by October 20, 2025 to [email protected].

Motivation Letter is no more than one page and includes:

Your motivation to participate

Your added value

Recent and relevant expertise/experience

Choice of science or planetary protection team

CV is no more than two pages and highlights:

Current and recent (last 5 years) positions and responsibilities
(e.g., leading or contributing to relevant teams or working groups),
or significant activities beyond this time frame.

Up to five most relevant publications.

Gerhard Kminek, ESA
Lindsay Hays, NASA

Source: Planetary Exploration Newsletter at PSI

Astrobiology

Explorers Club Fellow, ex-NASA Space Station Payload manager/space biologist, Away Teams, Journalist, Lapsed climber, Synaesthete, Na’Vi-Jedi-Freman-Buddhist-mix, ASL, Devon Island and Everest Base Camp veteran, (he/him) 🖖🏻