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Nature 411, 625 (7 June 2001) | doi:10.1038/35079755

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Mars rock samples condemned to quarantine

Tony Reichhardt

As if collecting rocks from the surface of Mars and returning them to Earth weren't challenge enough, a panel of scientists is recommending that NASA design and build a unique quarantine facility to ensure that any organisms in the martian samples don't contaminate the terrestrial environment.Quarantine of martian rocks has long been considered a requirement for any mission to collect samples.