International Committee Against Mars Sample Return

The "International Committee Against Mars Sample Return", or ICAMSR, is an advocacy group of scientists who campaign to raise awareness of planetary protection issues involved in a Mars sample return. They have been quoted in news stories about plans for Mars Sample Return.

The director of ICAMSR is Barry DiGregorio, author of the book "Mars: The Living Planet", a 1997 re-examination of the Viking biology results. Notable advisors include Gilbert Levin who was responsible for the Viking spacecraft biological experiments, and Chandra Wickramasinghe.

The original inspiration comes from Carl Sagan's concerns about Mars Sample Return, as described in his book the Cosmic Connection, where he wrote (in 1973):

Carl Sagan's concerns are shared by otehr scientists who have looked at issues of a Mars sample retur

The ICAMSR have as their main goal, that samples are certified safe in situ or in space first before they are returned to Earth.