Jan 6 1963
From The Space Library
Review of space Research, report of eight-week Space Science Summer Study sponsored by National Academy of Sciences in support of NASA, was transmitted to NASA Administrator James E. Webb. Consensus of the more than 100 U.S. scientists from Government, universities, and industry: “Of all the discoveries that have come from or can now be anticipated from man’s efforts in space sciences, none more easily captures the imagination nor is more likely to focus interest and acclaim than the empirical proof that there is in this universe a biota other than our own. “On solid scientific grounds, on the basis of popular appeal, and in the interests of our prestige as a peace-loving nation capable of great scientific enterprise . . finding and exploring extraterrestrial life should be acclaimed as the top-priority scientific goal of our space program . . . . "What is at stake is an opportunity to gain a new level of discussion of the meaning and nature of life." Even without “definitive evidence” of extraterrestrial life, report said there was no basis for ruling out possibility of life on Mars, Venus, or the moon ; it strongly endorsed NASA policy of sterilizing interplanetary spacecraft to prevent contamination of possible extraterrestrial life.
The report also recommended that trained scientist-observers be assigned important roles in future U.S. space missions. “By his presence, man will contribute critical capacities for scientific judgment, discrimination, and analysis (especially of a total situation) which can never be accomplished by his instruments, however complex and sophisticated they become.
“Hence manned exploration of space is science in space, for man will go with the instruments that he has designed to supplement his capacities to observe what is there, and to measure and describe the phenomena in terms that his scientific colleagues will clearly understand. A scientifically trained and oriented man will be essential for this purpose.”
Report asked NASA to take immediate steps to train scientists for space investigations so that a “scientist-astronaut” would be a member of each Project Apollo (lunar mission) crew; meteorologists could co-pilot future manned orbiting space observatories, beginning with two-man Gemini flights in 1964; biologists would be available for first manned flights to Mars; astronomers would be prepared for advent of space observatories and for maintenance and modification of these facilities.
Urging “maximum possible participation of scientists in all space missions,” report outlined four specific levels of training: scientist-astronauts (men combining experience and resourcefulness of trained scientist and trained astronaut) ; scientist-passenger (experienced, mature scientists with adequate training in critical and emergency spacecraft operations); ground scientists (leading scientists in pertinent fields collaborating with spacecraft personnel in accomplishment of scientific mission) ; astronaut observers (astronauts with varying degrees of special training in making scientific observations). (NAB, Review of Space Sciences; NAS Releases)
AFSC announced 13-month Asset program would begin with first launch of six unmanned, non-orbiting vehicles from Cape Canaveral in mid-1963. Asset (Aerothermodynamic/elastic Structural Systems Environmental Tests) re-entry tests would provide data on environmental control, guidance and control, instrumentation, recovery techniques and equipment, structural cooling, and radar tracking under ion-sheath conditions. Recovery of the delta-wing vehicles was planned. (AFSC Release 31-R-2; UPI,Wash. Post, 1/6/63)
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