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KAROLINSKA INSTITUTET
STOCKHOLM 60

BAKTERIOLOGISKA February 20, 1964
INSTITUTIONEN

 

Professor Joshua Lederberg

Stanford University School of Medicine
Department of Genetics

Stanford Medical Center

300 Pasteur Drive

Palo Alto

California - USA

Dear Professor Lederberg,

At a meeting on February 14th, COSPAR's Consultative
Group on Potentially Harmful Effects of Space Experiments
considered problems of extraterrestrial contamination, and
decided to establish a Working Group on Standards for Space
Probe Sterilization.

On behalf of the Consultative Group I have the honour
of inviting you to become a member of this Working Group. It
will consider data of the type enclosed ("Required Spacecraft
Sterilization levels" by C. Sagan), sent under separate cover
("Views on Space Probe Sterilization", a background document
for the Consultative Group) or provided in the course of the
next few months. It will then meet in Florence at 9 A.M. on
Thursday, May 14th, 1964 to answer the following questions:

1. Would presence of viable terrestrial organisms on
Mars be injurious to scientific experiments or
observations: a) interfere with the interpreta-
tion of life detection experiments b) alter the
chemical environment of Mars due to microbial
growth and metabolism c) is this an all-or-none
problem or is interference a matter of the total
number of contaminating microbes deposited.

2, What levels of contamination could be allowed in
the case of a) Mars fly-by b) Mars lander.

3, What levels of contamination might be permitted in
the case of other celestrial bodies,

4, What steps should be taken a) to advance the tech-
niques of space craft sterilization and the methods
for establishing contamination levels (nomination
of a committee of experts on sterilization and ste-
rility testing !), b) to work out procedures for the
handling of planetary samples returned to earth.

to be continued on page two.
page two

KAROLINSKA INSTITUTET
STOCKHOLM 60

 

BAKTERIOLOGISKA
INSTITUTIONEN

February 20, 1964

Professor Lederberg cont,

5. How much information does an international
scientific group need to decide whether there
had been a breach of sterility or a breakdown
of interplanetary quarantine.

The "verdict" of the Working Group - which will be
composed of a small number of outstanding scientists - will
certainly determine the course of all future international
actions in this area, so we are very anxious to enlist your
assistance.

Please let me have your decision as soon as possible
as well as information whether your Academy takes care of
your travel- and living expenses. Otherwise the Consultative
Group will make a special reimbursement request to COSPAR
on your behalf.

 

C.-G. Hedén
Member COSPAR's Consultative Group
Res.Prof,.Bact.Bioeng.

cc, V. Sarabhai
P. J. Beaulieu
W. W. Kellogg

Enclosure