NAT tOHAL SC If WE FOWOAT IoN
OtOLOQtCAL AND KOICAL SCIWcES

PROPOSAL LVAUJAT ION StffCT

#d,

TITLC

B-7092

Detection of Microorganisms W Vishnioc
on other Planets: Suitable
Instruments

Ilk3 1TUT IOP)

Yale u

CONWNTS (II fbnh SPACC Is RCWIRCB Prr~c 0~s AOO~T~ONAI. Plrap)

I m nOt altogether an objective bystander on this proposal, having played
some p&rt in instigating the discussions at &If, o d sane corresponding ones
here. I a hopeful that there will be udditlonai proposals of a simlisr nature
relative to scheduled contact probas, especially to Mars, about 3 years from
now.  it is important to get mfcrobiologtstr of VtshniacOs (high) crrlibre bn-
terested in these questions, and without inordinate delay if the most efficient
use 1 f to be m&e of the early probes.

Dr. Vishniac is certainly asking for a modest sun- perhaps unreaiistlcaliy
so- and the main virtue of his preliminary work may bo to discover the kinds of
design probians that will be encountered in optimization of the detector. it is
possible (though not ltiiately evident) that similar automatic devices may play
a useful role in other types of research.

However, in viw of the limitations of funds available to NSF, and the liberal
support given to NASA, it seems quite piauslble that rerponsibiiity for the pro-
i ect should be acceptad by HASA. There are two reservations on thls statament:
1) it should not be used as an excuse to deflect or defer supportfor the
project, M&C particu&rly if NASA is still at an orgwtrational stage where it
may not be making grants of this type, and (2) that fund-ntal work in space-
related scienoes, as opposed to the development of payload hardware, should certainly
not be the special responsibility of NASA.  Certainly I can see no sound objection
to NSF devoting small m for preliminary work if NSF is the most mqmdItlous
source.  if NSF is to administer fuqds on the llkeiy scale required, for cuurtpie
to build actual M prototypes of the paylo& detectors, it would need8 additioncli
funds w in no mean measure to ensure adequate support for other basic progrenro.

If Vishniac had lass integrity or ability as a scientist, the `hardware' srgurasnt
might be more compel 1 lng en argument agalnst the pro-i.  At the moment, the
`hardware' has to be developed as the means,to answer some very pervasive questions
and if the NSF, for any reason, cannot support the project itself, it should
be cartri n that prompt support is avai lable elstiere.

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