On Wed, 24 Nov 1999, Robert Owen wrote:
> Payload: CSM-107 (Columbia) and LM-5 (Eagle)
>
> Mission Objective: Perform manned lunar landing and return mission
> safely. (Achieved).
[snip]
>
> Question: does anyone suppose we would have implemented this
> approach, descent and landing protocol if we knew, or suspected
> with a high level of confidence, that the moon was inhabited?
>
Precisely. We had it on fairly good evidence that the moon couldn't support life *as we know it*. It is interesting to wonder whether NASA has considered defense against contamination by nanobots as something it should beware of on its upcoming retreival missions or whether we are once again "assuming" that everything is dead out there...
Robert