«What I didn't know at the time,» Conley says, «is the way the position is turned over:
The current planetary protection officer finds somebody who's willing to come, brings them in, and then leaves.
On a positive note however, the researchers add that this suggests that any microorganisms that may be transported to Mars from Earth by mistake are unlikely to be able to survive on the Martian surface, something that is of
current concern for
planetary protection.