WESTEX -2 and -3 Preliminary reports.

The WestCoast Conference on extra-terrestrial biology met for its second and third

sessions respectively at the Jet Propulsion Laboratories, Pasadena, California (March
21, 1959) and at the Hopkins Marine Station, Stanford University, Pacific Grove,
California, (May 2-3, 1959). The attendance at the two meetings was:

Calvi oF Novick a

@ivin + ovic + +

sont tt Krauskopt sorerenses,
Weaver + + Van Niel + + further

Marr + + Thomas + + 7

Urey + Sagan + ective par-
Howmowitz + + Badger + ve pation
Davies + + Lederberg + + . 7 u
Hibbs + Stanier * ° other
Sint + Bracewel | 7 usiness,

The conference feels that the preparation of a smaxk detailed analyxztical report
should be the first order of business during the next few months. This will be a
challenging and time-consuming assignment. It hopes that Mr. Sagan will accept the
assignment and that financial support for this (as a full time job for the summer
months) will be available. Tape recordings of the sessions are available; Mr. Sagan
might also visit the conferees individually. We are planning the next session for Sep-
tember to review the report , unless other urgent business comes up in the interim.

This paper is a brief resume of the matters considered during the two meetings.

A. CETEX -- Extraterrestrial contamination,

Minutes of Westex-] were forwarded to Hughes and Odishaw for use during the Cetex
meeting of tarch 9-10, 1959 at The Hague. We just missed receiving the Cetex report
(since published in Nature, April 4, 1959) for review at the second meeting. At ame this
and our tnitd meeting, the conference emphatically reiterated the position adopted

in the Westex-| minutes. While the CETEX-2 report Is an important contribution, we

feel that it still does not adequately represent tive interest of the biological sciences
in space exploration policy, which we hope will be renedied in the further activities

of COSPAK in this field. The aspects of the CETEX report to which we would particularly
direct the attention of the Space Science Board are:

1). ‘The outside of epee-vehicles need not be sterilized, since ... solar radiation
during flight will destroy all microorganisms which have settled on the shell.'' We
are informed that Pioneer IV, for example, was programmed to keep the lower part of
the payload in complete darkness, for the purpose of actuating a trial shutter by
moonlight. In any case, this assertion Is based on the full exposure of naked microbes
to insolation. If this condition can be assured, but only if so, we could rely on the
sterilization of the outer shell by solar UV. Methods can, however, be developed to
protect the inner payload from contamination during its transit through the earth's
atmosphere.

2). "The need for sterilization is only temporary. Mars and possibly Venus need
to remain uncontaminated only until study by manned space-ships becomes possitle,'!
We trust that this statement is intendéd to be Interpreted: unti! we can better essess
the possible consequences of skzaxkkkxaxkam planetary infection, at which time a sounder’
decision will become possible. It should also be stressed that a manned expedition
could not fail to introduce massive biological contamPnation to Its target.
3) ‘'Panspermia....must be rejected because solar radiation (in a high vacuum)
would decompose biospores just as It decomposes cosmic dust.'' We have repeatedly
conceded the probable accuracy of this statement. However we cannot support the
dogmatic exclusion of a hypothesis for which an experimental test is potentially
available, and which would so profoundly influence our conceptions as to the
nature of terrestrial life. We suggest the more conservative approach that the
extra burdens placed on, e.g., lunar exploration by adherence to a strict policy
Of axenia be weighed in terms of the risks of meaningful contamination.

Our approach to this problem is conditioned by the expectation that strict
decontamination does not pose an impossible task-- that [t would in fact add an
Smmeasurably small fraction to the cost of space missions (measured in time and
effort as wel) as money).

4)"'ContanInation of Mars and Venus.’ The Conference applauds the forthright stand
taken by CETEX : "It is therefore of the greatest importance that space-vehicles
should not land either accidental! y or deliberately on Mars (and possibly also

Venus) unless all precautions have been taken to exclude living organisms from

them.'' We agree that these targets pose far more Significant issues than those
related to the moon and to the panspermia hypothesis. We urge the National Academy
of Sciences to take all possible measures to encourage the adoption of this position
by all agencies in the US and elsewhere engaged In apace missions. We particularly
urge that NASA be encouraged to adopt this aspect of the CETEX report as an encourage-
ment to international adherence to it.

We hope that this section will be interpreted as tangible Support a) for research
on methods of decontamination and on the survival of microorganisms in extraterrestrial
environments, and b) for the emptrical testing of the precautions Intended to exclude

contaminants from shaxkunaxxpraheswupmex space probes,

some apeci fic recommendations bearing on methods of decontamination are sumnarized
in the Westex-] reports. We particularly urge that an effort be made to activate
cooperative rhsmax research on these problems, and especially recommend the Blological
Warfere Laboratorfes at Fort Detrick, Maryland for the mam purpose. We also suggest
the inclusion of marker substances in payload components to @ facilitate thelr identi-
fication as such by later explorations. For example, fluorinated hydrocarbons might
be systematically knamp incorporated in all plastic components; a rare or Isotopically
enriched metal agreed on as a standard marker in hetallic compénents.

B. Methods of decontamination, These require further Study in close liasionwith the
Operating missile laboratories. Different components may require different techniques
for their internal sterilization, so that methods of treating the final package, e.g.
gaseous fumigation, will be more effective. Machined parts and similar components
are known to be liable to cmsanmkyak moderately heavy contamination; emulsified
cutting oils are especially rich sources of this. Careful cleansing of parts is

the most important measure; this can be fortified by the incorporation of antiseptic
compounds into lubricating and cleaning oils, and by the use of bactericidal metals,
¢.g-, silver, for plating. However, empirical tests are needed on a comprehensive
scale to evaluate the residual contamination load of the assemblied. IMXK

This question was discussed in some detall, especially with Dr. Davies from JPL.

In connection with accidental landings, further study would be desirable on
design features that might ensure destruction of a payload during atmospheric reentry
or on impact.

C. MARS program. Infra-red Spectroscopy furnishes the most promising approach to

the detectlon of characteristic chemical compounds (more accurately functional groups )
at great distances. Sinton presented his observations on Mars made with the 200'
reflector at Palomar. He reports 3 absorption bands at 3.43, 3.56 and 3.67 uw In
addition to the atmospheric CH, band at 3.33 » and others attributable to atmospheric
0. Other Infra-red bands are unfortunately inacceible owing to the opacity of
the earth's atmosphere. The 39435 yw band might be attributable to asymmetrical
C-H stretch; the others to C-H stretch In molecules containing C-O bonds as well.
The most plausible assignment of these bands would then be to complex organic
molecules containing oxygen or nitrogen In addition to hydrogen and carbon.

However, the absorptions are relatively weak, even In the observations of
the ‘dark areas' of Mars. The 3.43-3,46 band which was most prominent In his
first observations of the whole planet is the least discernible In the newer
@karx observations, and the marginal energies available make a detal led compari son
of the spectra difficult to Interpret. These observetions are certainly the
most exciting encouragement to the detection of Martian life, but require considerable.
amplification before thelr evidentiary value Is settled. The following suggestions
were discussed:

8) Repeated observations with the terrestrial telescope, especially to measure
seasonal effects. Masking to get a clearer Separation of light and dark areas might
improve the sharpness of the Spectra,

b) Observations from Instruments above the atmosphere (balloons; earth aga saxekk 1-
Satellites.)

Pertinent to the present conferences was a strong recommendation to program
a high resolution spectral scanning of a meridional diameter of the Martian disc
from a probe, such as the Vega-developmental trials hoped-for In 1960-61. If
possible, the spectrum from 1-10 y whould be Included. However, the solar energy
available for reflection diminishes rapidly at longer wavelengths, and In the
extremely Interesting 6-8 1 region Is far exceeded by the thermal emission of
the planet. Further study is required to ascertain whether Mars would behave as
a black body, or would show selective emission at wavelengths corresponding to
Its surface constitution.

To back up this project, extensive data on reflection spectra of candidate
materials are badly needed, for comparison with the anticipated results from the
probe, Marr (Davis), Calvin (Berkeley) and Thomas (SRI) have agreed to collaborate
on exploratory work of this kind. Research funds should be made avallable to Sup-
port the expenses of these as ongoing programs.

Characterization of organic material, Including groupings such as C=0, -CONH,, ;
-CHo9H etc. would not, by Itself, verify its biochemical origin, In view of
the probability of photochemical Syntheses, However, seasonal changes In extent
might furnish contributory evidence of a global metabolism,

Jupiter was discussed by Carl Sagan as a likely site for the large scale
operation of photochemical syntheses, accented by the gravitational sedimentation
of heavier melecules out of the solar radiation field, He Its seeking spectral
evidence of such molecules in the Jovian atmosphere: several unidentified bands
have already been described which he Is seeking to correlate with model compounds
in laboratory measurements, These Involve specially long gas-path cells. This
type of work should be extensively Supported as the background to analytica}
discussions of kthe orlgin of,life.

The detection of life by landing experiments, mainly by axxkikum artificial
culture, Is mainly In a sakking preliminary talking stage. While the heterotrophic
metabolism of Martian biota might be very different from the warth's, we can make
two optimistic predictions: a) that there will be autotrophic organisms (if any
at all) adapted to the local environment as we find it, and b) In all likelihood
there will be heterotrophic organisms that can metabolize simple organic compotnds,
such as glycine, which would be abundantly available by photochemical synthesis.
Automated culture experlmentsshould be designed on these bases.