STANFORD UNIVERSITY

  MEDICAL CENTER
PALO ALTO, CALIFORNIA

DEPARTMENT OF GENETICS
Scbwl of Mrdrcinc

DAvenport I-IZOO
Cables STANMED

Hay 12, 1961

Dr. Homer E. Newel I, Jr.
Deputy Director, Office of
Space Flight Programs
National Aeronautics and Space Administration
520 H Street, N.W.
Washington 25, 0. C.

Dear Dr. Newell:

   In response to your letter of April 7, I am enclosing 10 copies of a preliminary
proposal for the Mariner B Capsule - the Wultivator~~. This should be thought of as
complementing two other approaches to the analysis of suspended particulate material
in the Mars atmosphere that are being presented by JPL - the abbreviated microscope
and the gas chromatograph.  These devices could all hook on to the same mechanism
for collection of the dust.

   It is obvious that Mariner B is already a highly stressed mission, and it may
become much more so as time goes on.  I would urge the relevent committees to
consider the advantages and technical possibilities of expanding Mariner B to an
expedition of two or three space crafts.  If these arrive at intervals of a few
days the communication capacity of the mission will be greatly enhanced, apart from
the assurance of simple backup.  I also have indicated,this view in the enclosed
letter to Vice President Johnson, as Chairman of the National Aeronautics and Space
Counci I.

  The political situation here and internationally, suggests the possibility of
sudden directives to expand the program on short notice.  I urge that we take great
care to have thought out potential missions and experiments and supported their
development at least to the limits of imaginable vehicle possibilities, whether or
not these are programed within current plans and budgets.  I f not, we are bound
to be caught with our pants down, and to fail in the best service we can do for our
country's goals.

Some specific elaborations that are thought of for the Mariner series include:
(a) Corroborative altitude measurements for the capsule
(b) Radar analysis of the surface


   (c) More ample photographic end storage capacity.  This could allow for
more sophisticated selection of scenes for telemetry, and fuller exploitation of
microscopy and other optical methods.

   (d) Wider reconnaissance by the capsule -  needing longer communication
ttme as well as means of locomotion.

Yours sincerely,

Joshua Lederberg
Prcfessor of Genetics