July 29, 1959
Self Memo

1. Telephone call to Hartline. Discussed general questions of arganization
of Space Science Board. He is keenly inéerested in maintaining contact
with the exobiology program. Most of the membership of the committee-I|
was selected on the basis of convenient access and perhaps primarily for
their competence in relation to satellite and man in space experiments.
However, with the exception of Otto Schmitt, they have unanimously professed
disinterest in these and would prefer to concentrate on exobiology. I
asked Hartline whether he felt that any member of Congress realized the
coolness of the scientific community to the Mercury project. As far as
either of us is aware, the answer is no, and perhaps we should make our
positions more clearly known as the Academy stand on these matters ia

not very well understood.

2. Hartline has also corresponded with Francis at Michigan who is also
keenly interested in exobiological problems. [think he would be very
well suited to start working on the question of back contamination.
Hartline has already mentioned this and suggested that | reinforce his

letter.

3. There will be a chapter on biology written by Hartline for the Space
in Science collection -- this is to be an interim affair and should be

followed up later on by a more carefully thought out position paper.