As NASA moves quickly with a permanent Moon Base, a new policy paper suggests the moon should also also host a critical line of biological defence. Two researchers argue that a lunar biocontainment facility is necessary to quarantine extraterrestrial samples before they ever reach Earth.
The proposal appears in the journal Ambio. Co-authors Frederick I. Moxley and Anthony Ricciardi of McGill University suggest that returning material from Mars or distant asteroids directly to Earth carries unpredictable ecological risks. They recommend building a secure laboratory on the lunar surface where advanced robotic systems can process space-borne samples. This would keep potential contaminants isolated in an environment far removed from Earth.
The timing aligns with NASA’s changes in the Artemis program. Following the April 2026 launch of the crewed Artemis II mission, NASA is prioritizing surface infrastructure over an orbital station. The agency plans to develop a permanent base camp capable of supporting long-duration missions by 2030. Integrating a biosecurity hub into this architecture would leverage the natural isolation of the moon.
“The proposed facility would essentially act as a firewall between Earth and any potentially hazardous live organisms that could accompany returning future space missions,” said Moxley, director of Strategic Threat Analysis and Research Laboratories.
While the existence of extraterrestrial microbes remains entirely theoretical, the authors draw heavily on terrestrial ecology to frame their warning. They argue that the introduction of a novel biological entity could mimic the destructive patterns seen with invasive species on Earth. Organisms lacking natural predators can spread rapidly and alter ecosystems in irreversible ways.
Ricciardi, a biology professor and Director of the Bieler School of Environment, noted that waiting for an incident to occur is not a viable strategy.
“Decades of research on invasive species have demonstrated how an organism introduced to the wrong place at the wrong time can spread uncontrollably with potentially devastating and irreversible long-term impacts on ecosystems,” Ricciardi said. “This research justifies a strong precautionary approach against introductions of extraterrestrial origin.”
The researchers warn that current planetary protection guidelines are inadequate for an era of frequent sample return missions. If a spacecraft carrying contaminated material were to crash on Earth, existing laboratories could not guarantee the absolute containment of a life form with an unknown biochemistry.
While the proposal addresses the plans of those participating in the NASA-led Artemis program, it does not make mention of any other nation’s efforts.