Lunar Biolosy?

Ef the launching of a moon-bound satellite is within the imminent
cach of present day technology, biologists should join with other
-ortists in giving some forethought to the implications of this ac-
lishment for their own science, That lditle or nothing has been
4 about this subject so far may be put down on the one hand to the
opchabillity that lunar conditions are incompatible with any form of
contimed life, on the other to the too visionary context of such
speculations,

 
  
 
  

Howover, if a lunar satellite is a near reality in fact, it is une
realistic not to anticipate it.

There is at least one important issue that requires advance planning
if a unique opportunity is not to be confounded or lest, This is
whether or not the meteoritic dust which supposedly covers the surface
of the moon contains still viable spores, Although the most likely origin
of such spores would be terrestrial escapes, e.g. from volcanic catastro~
phea, the possibility of a small fraction of them remaining viable would
be the most direct empirical test of Arrhenius! biospore theory which
hitherto has had to remain befogged by pure speculation.

Without forethought, satellites may be sent to crash on the moon
without any care to eliminate or minimize the artificial contamination
by bacterial spores, ete., that they may carry with them, It will
probably be many years longer before we can retrieve samples from the
moon's surface, and by then it may no longer be possible to judge whether
spores can achieve as well as survive interplanetary transit by natural
agencies,

This is only one issues others may arise, My principal conclusion
is that the responsible agencies of the U.S, and other governments should
have the advice of an expert committee to deal with questions of extra-
terrestrial biology, as they already have on innumerable aspects of the
physical sciences,

Joshua Lederbarg
University of Wisconsin
December, 1957