NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION
: GEORGE C. MARSHALL SPACE FLIGHT CENTER
HUNTSVILLE, ALABAMA 35812

 

IN REPLY REFER TO:

DIR June 4, 1965

Dr. Joshua Lederberg
Professor, School of Medicine
Stanford University

Palo Alto, California

Dear Dr. Lederberg:
It was nice to talk to you on the telephone today.

Enclosed is a reprint of my talk entitled "Saturn Rocket Systems
and Space Exploration, ' which I had planned to give before a graduate
engineering course at Stanford Electronic Laboratories on Feb. 3, 1965,
Since I was detained at the last minute, Mr. Vjekoslav Gradecak
delivered the presentation on my behalf. The talk covers the broad
spectrum of problems involved in placing a biological laboratory on the
surface of the Planet Mars. The payloads shown on the illustrations and
explained in the text are based on suggestions prepared by several dif-

ferent sources, including contractors, s

The configuration for the Voyager spacecraft, which the Jet Pro-
pulsion Laboratories in Pasadena plans to soft-land on the Martian
surface during the 1971 opportunity, differs from all the configurations
shown, particularly with respect to the size of the landing capsule. If
you are interested in JPL's latest thinking, I would suggest you get in
touch with Dr. William Pickering, Director of JPL, direct.

I shall be glad to notify you next time I come out to California,

I hope that we can combine this visit with a fruitful discussion on this
subject,

incerely yours,

ifs/ it~ Keepin fas Mee. Wernher von au
quits , EEL k tle : Director

1 Enc:
AS stated

YUNI 7 1965

UU OA

“mM f avy