Abstract: Background: NASA Strategic Knowledge Gap B5: Forward Contamination for Mars. Issue: we have knowledge gaps!: Whether / how microbes are released from crewed pressure systems. Why do we care?: Informs Mars operational concepts – How to protect the science; Informs architecture decisions – How “open” Environmental Control and Life Support (ECLS) systems are; Informs landing site selection decisions – How close we can land / operate to where life may be present. Project goal: get some data to fi…