The COSPAR Panel on Planetary Protection (PPP) developed a new version of the COSPAR Policy on Planetary Protection published in Space Research Today in January 2026. The previous 2024 version reflected editorial and structural adjustments to achieve consistency and better understanding of the Policy and all its components. The new 2026 version makes some additional structural changes to improve understanding, but more importantly introduced a new unified policy for Icy Worlds. Upon endorsement of this new version of the Policy by Panel members on 6 October 2025, the text was submitted to the COSPAR Bureau for validation and was approved on 7 November 2025. (Download PDF)
For more information about the work of the Panel on Planetary Protection, see the dedicated PPP page here.