AAPlasma is proud to announce that we will be receiving funding from NASA to develop our project “Plasma-Activated Water Sterilization (PAWS): Sub-Micrometer Charged Water Droplet Generation in Non-Equilibrium Plasma for Decontamination of Life Detection Mission Spacecraft.”

NASA and AAPlasma will be teaming up to develop technology for the search for extraterrestrial life. In this project, we will be validating a non-equilibrium (“cold”) plasma-based decontamination technology for a proposed Europa Lander as well as other ocean and icy world missions. 

Because of the importance of even the smallest amount of biological material, planetary protection is one of the primary concerns for such a life-detection mission. “Forward contamination” (biological material from our planet reaching another) could be catastrophic, and “backward contamination” (biological material from another planet reaching ours) could be equally devastating if proper containment and decontamination procedures aren’t followed.

AAPlasma is proud to be working to address such a critical need, and we thank NASA for the opportunity to make an impact in the search for life in our universe.