What is BS EN 16602-70-56 - Vapour Phase Bioburden Reduction for Flight Hardware about?  
BS EN 16602-70-56 specifies procedures for the reduction of microbiological contamination of flight hardware using hydrogen peroxide vapour.
The procedures specified in BS EN 16602-70-56 cover:
- Reduction of microbiological contamination on exposed surfaces
- Reduction of microbiological contamination in controlled ambient and vacuum environments
BS EN 16602-70-56 may be tailored for the specific characteristics and constraints of a space project in conformance with ECSS-S-ST-00C.
BS EN 16602-70-56 has been developed to cover specifically space systems and has, therefore, precedence over any EN covering the same scope but with a wider domain of applicability (e.g.: aerospace). 
Who is BS EN 16602-70-56 - Vapour Phase Bioburden Reduction for Flight Hardware for? 
BS EN 16602-70-56 on vapour phase bioburden reduction for flight hardware is useful for: 
- Spacecraft and space products manufacturers         
- Aerospace products manufacturers   
- Testing agencies involved in the inspection of spacecraft and aerospace products         
- Quality control personnel for spacecraft products      
- Aeronautical engineers 
- Space researchers
Why should you use BS EN 16602-70-56 - Vapour Phase Bioburden Reduction for Flight Hardware?  
Harmful contamination in that sense is defined as biological contamination, including organic-constituents, to protect the environment in order to allow future exobiology research. The Committee On Space Research (COSPAR) has established some planetary protection guidelines, based on the Outer Space Treaty. These guidelines impose requirements on spaceflight missions according to target body/mission type combinations.
BS EN 16602-70-56 also specifies requirements for the conditioning of the flight hardware, bioburden reduction cycle development, and equipment to be used for applying a bioburden reduction procedure. The objective of BS EN 16602-70-56 is to ensure that proper procedures for reducing the microbiological contamination on flight hardware is in place to meet the planetary protection constraints.
