Well I can answer on the biological contamination procedures. The Moon is classified as Category II. So you don't need to decontaminate your lander, and are only required to document what you do.
There may be other requirements in the future - COSPAR has discussed setting up "Moon parks" which may have restrictions, e.g. to protect the historical landing sites, also areas especially vulnerable for any other reasons.
NASA has already put in place recommendations for the X prize, according to this article, to land more than 2 kms away from the Apollo 11 and Apollo 17 landing sites for instance.
Space is vulnerable to environmental disasters, we must protect it (Wired UK)
Also - when the Chinese spacecraft landed, there was a minor issue there that they thought it's rocket exhausts would, by augmenting the Moon's very thin atmosphere, interfere with the measurements of another spacecraft.
So - can't absolutely say this is all the requirements. You would need to discuss the mission in detail with the planetary protection office when the time comes.
But chances are, I think, that for the X prize, this would be all you have to do, to avoid landing right next to the historical sites, just possibly may be required to avoid other "Moon parks" if any others have been established by then, and to document where you land..
From the NASA Office of Planetary Protection
Category II includes all types of missions to those target bodies where there is significant interest relative to the process of chemical evolution and the origin of life, but where there is only a remote chance that contamination carried by a spacecraft could jeopardize future exploration.
The requirements are only for simple documentation. This documentation includes a short planetary protection plan is required for these missions, primarily to outline intended or potential impact targets; brief pre-launch and post-launch analyses detailing impact strategies; and a post-encounter and end-of-mission report providing the location of inadvertent impact, if such an event occurs.
There may be other requirements in the future - COSPAR has discussed setting up "Moon parks" which may have restrictions, e.g. to protect the historical landing sites, also areas especially vulnerable for any other reasons.
NASA has already put in place recommendations for the X prize, according to this article, to land more than 2 kms away from the Apollo 11 and Apollo 17 landing sites for instance.
Space is vulnerable to environmental disasters, we must protect it (Wired UK)
Also - when the Chinese spacecraft landed, there was a minor issue there that they thought it's rocket exhausts would, by augmenting the Moon's very thin atmosphere, interfere with the measurements of another spacecraft.
So - can't absolutely say this is all the requirements. You would need to discuss the mission in detail with the planetary protection office when the time comes.
But chances are, I think, that for the X prize, this would be all you have to do, to avoid landing right next to the historical sites, just possibly may be required to avoid other "Moon parks" if any others have been established by then, and to document where you land..
From the NASA Office of Planetary Protection
Category II includes all types of missions to those target bodies where there is significant interest relative to the process of chemical evolution and the origin of life, but where there is only a remote chance that contamination carried by a spacecraft could jeopardize future exploration.
The requirements are only for simple documentation. This documentation includes a short planetary protection plan is required for these missions, primarily to outline intended or potential impact targets; brief pre-launch and post-launch analyses detailing impact strategies; and a post-encounter and end-of-mission report providing the location of inadvertent impact, if such an event occurs.
About the Author
Robert Walker
Writer of articles on Mars and Space issues - Software Developer of Tune Smithy, Bounce Metronome etc.Studied at Wolfson College, Oxford
Lives in Isle of Mull
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