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October 11, 1961

Dr. Hugh L. Oryden

Deputy Administrator

Natlonal Aeronautics & Space Administration
1520 H Street, Northwest

Washington 25, D.C.

Dear Hugh:

| am very grateful to you for your cordial letter of October 6,
which Is Indeed of the deepest Interest to me.

Let me say Immediately that the new organizational plan for NASA
headquarters strikes me as belng a most constructive change and that
In particular the allocation of effort In blological sclences corresponds
precisely to the views | have held for some time. The statement In the
last paragraph of page 2 of your letter corresponds exactly to the
recommendations | had urged on the Kety Committee two years ago. in
line with the same reasoning | have concluded that any consultative
contribution that | could make In exoblology would be more effective In
close coordination with other aspects of space sclence, through the
planetary and Interplanetary subcommittee rather than through the advisory
committee for the Office of Life Sclences and ! have accordingly served
with the formees Perhaps | need take no more of your time to I} lustrate
my enthusiastic support for the premises of the new administrative
arrangements. :

nap hug

{ am sure that you would be the first to caution that tables of
organization do not, themselves, solve our problem though they may help
furnish the means to find the solutions. | am very deeply disturbed about
the Inadequstites of our effort in planetary exploration, the evaluation of
the rare opportunities that each planetary opposition gives, to be forever
lost. { feel that we are making a tremendous political blunder in restraining
our efforts In this direction. These remarks are pattly provoked by the
"Information that the drop sond to the Mars surface from Mariner B Is likely
to be cancelled for reasons other than our inherent technical capacity. In-
stead of this | have urged, to the contrary, a much more vigorous and
spectacular effort as may perhaps have come to your attention via the
enclosed letter. If you have not seen this before may ! urge you to take
time to consider it. The substance of this letter wes also enthusébastical ly
endorsed by the Planetary and Interplanetary Sclences subcommittee at Its
meeting 14 June 1961.

If there Is any other way In which | can press these views, |
hope you will be able to let me know about It at the PSAC Panel meeting
neat Wednesday, on which occasion 1! am looking forward to seelng you
again.

{ trust you will understand that my hopeful and critical remarks
do not mar my appreciation for the magnificent effort we have constructed

on space sclence - rarely can so much have been accomplished In so short
a time.

With cordial regards,

Yours sincerely,

Joshua Lederberg
Professor of Genetics

GIF I |
Qyweeen Ath SES