DALE T

July 25, 2°60

Space Science Board

National Academy of Sciences
National Research Council

2101 Constitution Avenue, N, W,
Washington 25, D, C,

MIUWUTES
Third Meeting

Committees on Biological Research

Flamingo Hotel
Arcadia, California

June 24, 1960
Morning, Afternoon and Evening

and
Jane 25, 1960
Morning
In the Chair June 24, 1960: Dr. Hartline
In the Chair June 25, 1960: Dr, Lederberg

Attendance;
(fer all or part
of the sessions)

Members:
H, Keffer Hartline; Colin S, Pittendrigh;
Otto H, Schmitt; Richard Davies; Norman Horowitz;
Joshua Lederberg; G, A, Derbyshire, Secretary

Members Absent:
Howard J, Curtis; L, E, Farr; Thomas Francis;
E, F. MacNichol; Edward L, Tatum; Melvin Calvin;
A, G, Marr; Daniel Mazia; Aaron Novick; C. B, van
Niel; Harold F, Weaver; Paul Berg.

Invited Participants:

University of Pennsylvania - C, J, Lambertsen

U. S, Air Force - General Don Flickinger

Ft, Detrick, Maryland - C, R, Phillips

NRC Division of Medical Science - R, Keith Cannan,
Chairman; S, F. Seeley

Space Science Board ~ L, ¥. Berkner, Chairman;
Hugh Odishaw, Executive Director,

Igaison Representatives:
National Science Foundation - J, T, Wilson
National Aeronautics and Space Administration - Richard Young.
1, Consideration of Minutes

There being no objection, the minutes of the February 29, 1960

meeting were approved as circulated,

2. Organization of The National Academy of Science Space Biology
Committees --_Roles and Responsibilities
2.1 Space Science Board

Discussions of the organization and responsibilities of the
biological committees of the Space Science Board constituted the principal
topics for discussion at sessions on June 24, morning, afternoon and evening,
and were concluded at the June 25 morning session, The following summary
was presented to the Board as a result of these discussions:

Dr. Bexrkner advised the Committee of the recent discussions
with Dr. Bronk and Dr, Cannan which had established the necessity for
consolidation of the activities of the NRC Committee on Bio-Agtronautics
and the Bielogy Committee of the Space Science Board, These discussions,
implemented by activities of the Academy's staff had resulted in his
memorandum to Dr. Bronk dated June 3 (Attachment A). The expanded biological
activities of the Space Science Board are now being established generally
in accordance vith the plan outlined in this memorandum, Three new biology
committees are to be activated as follows:

Committee 14 - Exobiology

(Extraterrestrial life, contamination and related topics)
Chairman - Dr. Joshua Lederberg

Membership - Messrs, Hartline, Pittendrigh, and the
current membership of Committee 11 a,
-2=
Committee 15 - Environmental Biology
(Biological effects of earth dependent rhythms,
the gravity free state, high vacuum, radiations
and other features of satellite, planetary and
interplanetary environments.
Chairman designate - Dr, Colin S, Pittendrigh
Membership - Messrs, Hartline, Lederberg and
Curtis (Additional members to be appointed

by the Chairman, Space Science Board, on
recommendations of Dr, Pittendrigh.)

Committee 16 - Man-in-Space
(fo develop for the Board a clear philosophy with
regard to man-in-space programs, To establish
as required ad hoc sub-committees to provide
assistance to the civilian space agency and to
the Department of Defense and the individual
services,
Chairman - Dr. Christian J, Lambertsen
Membership - To be appointed by the Chairman
Space Science Board on recommendations
of Dr. Lambertsen,)
Both the newly organized Office of Life Seiences st NASA
and the Department of Defense, specifically the Air Force Directorate of
Bio-Astronautics, expect to look to the Board for policy and program
guidance, Each intend to establish in-house advisory committees for
project level advice of a detailed nature, General Flickinger, representing
the Air Force, stated that he would not support the continued operation of
the NRC- Bio-Astronautics Committee, However, he expressed the hope that
its forum type activity would be continued within the Space Science Board
and that the biology committees of the Board would be responsive to Armed

Forces requests for advice, Chairman Berkner and Dr, Odishaw assured him

that the Board would be responsible for these activities,
~3~

2.2 Bio-Astronautics Comittee
The Bio-Astronautics Committee panels will continue in

being until tasks now being completed can be phased eut fn an orderly
fashion. The Secretariat of the Comittee will be consolidated with

that of the Space Science Board thus an orderly integration of the two
organizations can be accomplished, It is hoped that final reports of each
panel's activities can be prepared at an early date so that the Board, end
particularly its man-in-space committee chairman, can take full advantage

of the significant contributions of the Bio-Astronautics Committee,

3. Government Plans and Interests
3.1 MASA Office of Life Sciences -_Dr, Richard Young
Objectives for space flight experiments in the Life Sciences
are contained in attachment B,

The Office of Life Sciences is organized currently in four

sections:

1, Grants and Contracts - responsible for spending a
ma jor portion of the life sciences budget in support
of the long term program and the development of in-
flight experimentation,

2, Bio-Engineering - responsible for the development of
life support systems, and eventually will ebsorb Projeet
Mercury,

3. Bio-Sciences - the area now being emphasized as the ma jor
effort of the Office; responsible for general biology,
in-flight experiments, contamination, extraterrestrial
life, radiation studies and so forth. The program in

this area has been developed in seme detail,
whens

4, The Life SclLences Certer - responsible for developing
plans and justification for a central laboratory at
a location not yet decided and programmed as "at least
several years avay",

The Office of Life Sciences dees not at this time have any
connection with Project Mercury although liaison is maintained at the
management level, Two in~house review committees have been established,
one under Dr. W, R, Lovelace and the second under Dr. Melvin Calvin. More
are contemplated, These committees will form in-house advisory bodies
to which staff committees of the division can turn for advice on proposal
evaluation and related topics,

The advice and support of the Space Science Board is needed for
three reasons:

1, To establish an indeperdent scientific point of view,

2. To enlist the support of competent scientists,

3, To influence the biology program along the most

valuable lines of investigation and to help sell to
and enlist the support of engineers,

Dr. Odishaw commented that the scientific community has the
responsibility to prevent foolish experiments, that the Board, as the
voice of space science within the Academy, accepts this responsibility,
However, the seientific community must respond to its needs and participate
actively in its behalf,

3.2 National Science Foundation - Or, John 7. Wilaon

The Listeen provided by the Foundation in the biological. -

sciences: has not been comparable so far to that which they have provided in

the physical sciences,
~5=

there is no special division for "space biology". Proposals in this
field are handled through the regular organization although they have
been so few in number that it has been possible to provide special
consideration, Since the organization of the NASA life sciences
' program, close informal liaison is maintained, The Foundation stands
ready to assist NASA through facility grants, coherent area science
grants and support of specific research projects, Generally, the NSP/NASA
relationship regarding funding of research is as follows:

NSF - ground-based research for general understanding,

NASA - those studies important to flight missions,

The lSF staff, working with the NASA staff will see that

projects get funded if they are worthwhile,

3.3 Air Force /DOD ~- General Don Flickinger
The total Air Force Bio-Astronautics program is contained in

 

a "For Official Use Only" document dated June 15, 1960 (available on loan
from the Secretariat). The program is divided into 8 major technical
areas: radiation, stess tolerance, capsule habitability, true performance,
bio-electronics, animals in space environment and field operation testing.
The Air Force intends to rely on the Space Science Board for broad
program policy guidance and support, This will provide a single point of
contact within the Academy for both the civilian and military space
biology programs,

4, Radioactive Power Sources for Lunar Probes, xref SSB Memorandum,
June 2, 1960 (Attachment C) ~~

The Committee indicated that its chief concern was not the
presently contemplated use of this battery, but ‘the establishing of a

precedent for future larger power sources of the same type, It suggested.
~6-
that while it was in general in agreement with the comments of
Professor Hurley, it lacked the information necessary to establish
a formal position, It further felt that this was a topic which should
be discussed within the COSPAR framework to secure international approval
and possibly to establish some measure of international agreement can-
cerning the use of radioactive power sources in lunar or planetary probes,

3. Sterilization Activities at Ft, Detrick - Dr. Charles R, Phillips

 

As a result of Committee and Board action regarding sterilization
of space probes, Ft, Detrick is operating under a NASA contract aimed
at the development of techniques and procedures to achieve this end,
The basic problem in this regard appears to be that of education of the
engineering personnel rather than the development of methods and
procedures, A second major problem appears to be establishing lines of
communication to the appropriate and responsible individuals, Some
research is going forward on bioletier! anslysis of payload components
with some interesting preliminary results, The Jet Propulsion Laboratory
is now specifying their electronic comnonents to withstand 125° for &
hours. One simple way of accomplishing sterilization of miscellaneous
debris is to paint it black, This will produce a sufficiently elevated
temperature on burned out rocket parts (nuts, bolts, etc.) to accomplish
this end, NASA still has no single focal point for implementation of
the sterilization procedure, The Committce agreed with Dr, Phillips
that it was most important to establish contact with the appropriate
people in time for the Sterilization to be built in as a part of the
whole payload construction process, However, it was felt there was no

Sure way toe achieve this end other than education,
-7-

De. Phillips also reported that the Army has established
a contract with Douglas Air Craft Company for the development of remote
biological sampling and detection devices, Their first step in
accomplishing this task will be the assembly of all appropriate
information. In this regard, the repert of an NRC Chemical Corps
Advisory Committee (1953) was noted as being of possible interest.

The background of familiarity and experience of the
Ft. Detrick engineers in dealing with the bacterial-tight barriers was
also noted and their possible application to the quarantine of sample
return from other planets.
De Consideration of Board Report

It was the sense of the Committee that no new information
was at hand to modify its report developed at its meeting on February 29,
1960. (Some minor additions are being developed and will be circulating

to Committee members shortly,
NASA OBJECTIVES FOR SPACE FLIGHT EXPERIMENTS IN THE LIFE SCIENCES

I OBJECTIVES FOR THE

 

STUDY OF TIE EFFECTS OF SPACE ON BIOLOGICAL PHENOMENA

—_ sass —_— aS a

 

 

To determine effects of extraterrestrial environments on
biologic matter, systems, and processes:

a.
b.

f.
&.
h.
i

j.

Growth

Reproduction

Nutrition

Embryogenesis

Morphogenesis

Mitosis

Heredity

Geotropism

Biological clocks and rhythms
Etc.

1, To select and design experiments required to evaluate effects
of space environments on biologic matter, systems, and processes

2. To evaluate the significance of these effects to the funda-
mental nature of biologic matter, systems, and processes,

3. To conduct above experiments in extraterrestrial environments.

Be
b.
Ce
d.
e.
£,

Simulated environments (earth bound)
Extra-atmosphereic balloon systems
Satellite systems

Space probe systems

Space laboratories

Lunar and planetary environments
TI OBJECTIVES FOR THE STUDY OF THY EFFECTS OF SPACE ON Living girimars

To determine the capability of animale to exist in extraterrestrial
environments and the means of providing such capabilities,

1. To evaluate the effects ef extraterrestrial environments,

2, To determine biologic requirements for animals te exist
in such environments,

a.
b.

Physielogic requirements
Psychologic requirements

3. To select and design required experiments

a.
b.

Physiological
Psychological

4, To conduct above experiments in extraterrestrial environments,

a.
b,
Cc.
d,
eC.
f.

Simulated environments (earth bound)
Extra-atmospherié balleen sy stems
Satellite systems

Space probe systems

Space laboratories

Lunar and planetary environments
Tit

5.

6.

OBJECTIVES FOR THE STUDY OF EXTRATERRESTRIAL LIFE

To conduct experiments with biological material under simulated
extraterrestrial conditions,

Determination ef ebservations and measurements te be made on
extraterrestrial samples,

To develop instruments for the remote analysis and identification
of organic compounds and life forms with metheds for relay of
information,

To develop techniques for obtaining and recovering sample and
returning it in a "natural" and viable state,

Te design and fabricate instruments and agents for laberatery
study of samples.

To train laboratory crews for study of returned extraterrestrial
samples,

Te conduct laberatery investigations ef origins of life <--
primordial melecules,