National Academy of Sciences Attachment A
National Research Council

2101 Constitution Avenue, N. W.

Washington 25, D. C.

Interim Report
to
SPACE SCIENCE BOARD

of
Biology Committees (11 and 11-A)

The Space Science Board Committee on Psychological and Biological
Research, and its Exobiology Sub-committee has given careful considera-
tion to the tasks outlined in SSB-139 and its attachments, The
Committee ig now reorganizing to improve the biology coverage in the
space science programs of the 1965-70 and 1970-80 periods, Completion
of this reorganization will make possible thé broad assessment
necessary to provide a properly balanced biology input to program
formulation.

1970-80 Period and the late 1960's ( pacts exh cporont tececlbg,)

Within the foreseeable future, the cost of sending an experimental
device through space and receiving information from it will be many
times that of using comparable analytical instruments in the laboratory.
For mary other reasons, the retrieval of samples of the planets would
ultimately be the most informative means for the advancement of planetary
science, This self-evident design has been and should continue to
be foremost in the long-range planning for the scientific utilization
of spacecraft with the requisite capabilities, However, such missions
also introduce the risk of back-contamination, a risk that cannot

 
be decisively evaluated within the framework of our present knowledge
of planetary biology, The same missions, as well as the one-way
probes that will precede them, also entail the possibility of
contaminating the targets; however, these missions can be programmed
so as to minimize the carriage of ''samples" of the earth, and to
disinfect the spacecraft by methods of known efficacy for terrestrial
organisms, Furthermore, as a matter of policy, acceptable risk
figures for contaminating a planetary target must be substantially
higher than for bringing trouble home,

From this standpoint, it may be fortunate that the vehicles for one-
way missions will (as is obvious) become available first. We must
make every effort to develop experiments that can be flown on such
missions and give telemetered information on planetary life and life-
habitats,

1960-65 Period

During this time, Centaur will be available, but Saturn will
not, The most significant experiments in exobiology are not possible
with these capabilities: these require planetary soft landings, however,
considerable preparatory work must be done now. This consists of two
parts—-both, for this period, independent of sequence,

1) Space Experiments

a) Lunar soft landing

b) Planetary fly-bys

c) Satellite-borne telescope

d) Recoverable nose-cone or satellite capsule

2) Back-up research, for space flight experiments and for
general scientific information

a) Instrumentation
b) Earth-based experimentation

Many aspects of the planetary chemistry program are of particular

interest to the biology groups; in fact, there is no chemical informa-
tion not useful to planning biological experiments,

A. Exobiology
1) Space Exper iments
a) Lunar Landing - Biologists await anxiously the chemical

analysis of the lunar surface and of deeper layers, ‘These
results are essential for planning any biological approach,
until. this information is available, however, we continue to
stress the necessity for minimizing contamination of the
moon by terrestrial organisms.

b) Planetary Fly-bys
i) Determination of the temperature profile of Venus

ii) Examination of Mars in the infra-red as proposed by
Davis and Gumpel in their COSPAR Symposium paper.
This experiment was conceived by Jet Propulsion
Laboratory in collaboration with Messrs, Calvin and
Weaver of the University of California, It is
understood that the instrumentation is essentially
ready,

c) Satellite Telescope - This experiment can, under certain
conditions of technological development, provide essentially
the same information as the fly-bys, either would be helpful
depending on the solution of their respective technology
problems. It is very important to have planetary study
capability included in the satellite telescope.

d) Recoverable Nose-cone or Satellite Capsule

i) Temperature relations of small particles in vacuum
under incident radiation, Particles whose diameter
is less than IR wavelengths may reach very high
equilibrium temperatures owing to their difficulty

_ of (thé radiation, It may be possible to simulate
DS the reaction of, say, “acterial spores (d = 1 p)
in vacuum in the terrestrial laboratory, but it

may be difficult to prevent interaction between
particles and container wall, Space experiments, e.g.
recoverable satellite capsule and nose-cone flights
(giving as much as 30 minutes exposure) may be the
most convenient way to determine the effect.

1i) Study of the effects of the low pressures of free
space on the survival of terrestrial organisms, rs

To a coun june othet ptt may be possible to simulaté’on the ground, aitheugh—
sexposure to the space environment—-would-be-more—
meaniugful, .

Lu 4 of Wisconsin is interested in both i and ii.)

re pe biti bork
2) Back-up Research ye

Throughout this period, conse research on every aspect
of the control of contaminatin ore paredcul anticipation of
t

  

ee

n the moon, and more particularly the planets,

__

ee

~~ ay Instrumentation for Space Flight Experiments

 

i)

ii)

iii)

iv)

v)

vi)

(xi)

for analysis... This yermet pido

ectrostatic collection of falling dust
Scoops or augers

( 4 . : >)

  
  
  

Gathering of samples of planetary surface terials
i SW.

 

Chemistry of planetary surfaces

Application of mass spectrometer techniques to
solid as well as gaseous samples
Automatic spectrometry in infrated and ultraviolet
Handling of materials for chemical analytical reactions
Detection of micron-sized particles giving volatile
products

Protection of samples

Encapsulation of samples in hermetically-sealed
containers for (a) local protection for later
analysis and (b) ultimately for safe return to earth.

Biological detection

Culture and micro chemistry of micro-organisms
(Vishniac and Lederberg both \nterested)

in Consperyrs
Means for subSequent ldcation and identification of
Space craft*used in early planetary landings

Means for vidicon survey at various magnifications and
focal lengths for macroscopic exobiota (and for other
planetary data)

Detectors for enzymatic catalysis
Interaction of planetary organisms with tissue cells
Response of planetary organisms to disinfection
B.

b) Ground-based Experimentation for General Scientific Information
i) Telescopy - particularly continuing planetary studies
ii) Analysis of meteorites

fii) Profile of earth's atmosphere with respect to
microbe~bearing dust

Sample collection by high altitude balloons, and
sounding rockets; also micrometeorites thus
collected can be analyzed for abundances of
carbonaceous materials,

The transport of micron particles can be determined

through studies of high altitude atmospheric . >

turbulence, portal

Consideration of the mechanisms necessary fo
organisms to escape the earth's i field,

iv) Interpretation of the appearance of earth from high

altitude for detection of biological phenomena~
both high resolution photography and in IR.

v) Simulation of planetary environments as habitats for
terrestrial organisms —_—

vi) Conditions for the origin of life~simulation of
planetary atmospheres and characterization of
products of biochemical interest resulting from
their irradiation{,

Radiation Biology

1) Space Experiments - More detailed physical measurements of
the radiations in snoce. When knomm reliobly, these measurements
can’ be translated easily into biological terms by. (a) laboratory
simulation and (b) calculations from fundamental parameters,

Cosmic ray effects, These effects at a cellular level
are pretty well understood, but their heterogeneous distribution
over the animal (needle-like lesions 25 yp diameter, 1 mm long)
gives effects on performance of the whole animal not yet easily
calculated,

2) Back-up Research - Experiments with available accelerators
and microbeam equipment will enable selection of the best
biological indicators to be used later in flight tests,
Cc. international Co-operation

1) Development of acceptable methods of decontamination
2) Exchange of ideas concerning the objectives of exobiological
research and discussion of the instrumentation

3) Depending on success of these enterprises negotiation of
tapnervonrls tacit arguments through COSPAR,
D. Environmental Biology

No serious proposals for rhythms or gravity-free state experiments
were at hand,