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SPACE SCIENCE BOARD, COMMITTEE ON EXOBIOLOGY( 14)
Stanford University, October 29, 1960 Minutes

Present: Davies, Horowitz, Lederberg, Marr, van Niel, Novick, Sagan, Berg, Miller,
Richard Young (NASA), G. L. Hobby and Richard Daview (JPL), Or.
Stanley Miller (Dept. Chemistry, U of C. La Jolla), Mrs. Jo Holstl,
Secretary (Stanford University).

The meeting was primarily an Informal discussion of the present status of
the scientific program and no formal actions were taken. The Meriner 8 (Mars
1964 bus-capsule) project was reviewed In some detall; the Ideas developed are
embodied In an attachment (Exob 810) which has been forwarded directly to NASA
subcommittees and to JPL for further study.

Committee 14 Is quite enthusiastic about the prospects for Mariner B and
regards it as a missiong of outstanding Importance.

Other topics discussed Included:
A. The possible location of a NASA Life Science Laboratory at Moffett Field.

B. Mariner A (Mars 1962) and the Importance of parallel studies on the earth.
(Sagan agreed to write a more critical review of the IR experiment with an
Indication of the spectra that might be detected - cf. E.)

C. The Importance of more constructive publicity on sclentific achlevements and
rewards In space research.

D. Other current Instruments for biological detection (cf. Goetz, A. and 0.

Pretning, 1960. The aerosol spectrometer and Its application to nuclear condensa~

tion studies. Monograph 5 (Physics of precipitation) from American Geophys. Unlon.,
1640183.) This Immediate application Is uncertain.

E. Spectra of the earth and laboratory simulations - both momentarily stalled
a/c operational problems.

F. Blology presentations at COSPAR In April 1961. Informal discussions with
Russians would be desirable. No Immediate contributions In exoblology are likely.
Perhaps decontamination procedures should be reviewed.

G. The Mohole Project = blological studies might be analogous to exoblology
except for emphasis on sample recovery.
2.

H. Stanford preliminary experiments In exoblology detectors.

1. Indication of simulated atmospheres. Artificial Ineculation of Venus with
photosynthetic system (Sagan and Scher).

J. Radlation Microblology (primarily problem of Committee 15). Preliminary
results on Neurospora (De Busk, reported by Young) are rather puzzling. The

Oak Ridge National Laboratories has unusual capability In this area and Dr. A.
Hollaender should be consulted for possibility of more effective cooperation.

K. Rm@m@iXEeX In view of contacts at other levels, Committee falt that meetings
twice yearly would serve for the present, subject to special calls for spectal
problems. The next meeting fs tentatively scheduled for May 1961.

Enc. 8-11. Comments on Mariner B « Mars 1964.