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'A Preemptive Shield': Scientists Propose Moon Quarantine to Block Alien Species Contamination
['Clarizza Potoy']
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The study describes such a facility as a 'pre-emptive shield' between Earth and future extraterrestrial sample-return missions.
Although there is currently no evidence that extraterrestrial life has been discovered, the researchers argue that uncertainty itself justifies stronger safeguards.
To reflect those unknowns, they propose creating a new biosafety classification—BSL-X—specifically for handling biological material of extraterrestrial origin that falls outside current laboratory risk categories.
The proposal arrives as international interest in sample-return missions continues to grow.
Still, as sample-return missions become more ambitious, the paper contributes to a growing discussion about how humanity should safely handle material collected beyond Earth.