Life Sciences in the Space Program 



review to address an opportune research effort that is long term and ground 

 based. 



• NASA should establish broad channels of communication between 

 disciplines and across internal organizational boundaries and between the 

 Agency and the scientific community at large. In addition, it should ensure 

 wide dissemination of announcements about opportunities to conduct 

 research, to develop new program thrusts, and to participate in summer 

 study, graduate research, and postdoctoral research programs. 



• The Life Sciences Division should cultivate the interests of young scientists 

 in exobiology through increased support of student internships, summer 

 study programs, graduate research programs, and postdoctoral fellowships to 

 be held at both universities and NASA research centers. 



Funding 



Funding for the Exobiology Program over the past 4 years has been maintained at 

 a relatively constant level of about $6 million, which corresponds to about 

 9 percent of the Life Sciences Division's budget. During this interval, two program 

 elements were added — Cosmic Evolution of the Biogenic Compounds and the 

 Evolution of Advanced Life — to complete the evolutionary scope of the program. 

 At the same time, the program was committed to addressing an increasing need 

 for access to space missions and for initiation of a project activity. As a result, 

 fewer resources are available for basic research in exobiology. 



If funding continues at a relatively constant level, the fundamental ground-based 

 research program will either continue to be eroded or it will be forced to retrench 

 by reducing its intellectual scope and, therefore, its excitement and challenge. Only 

 substantial additional funding would allow the program to overcome losses due to 

 inflation and the ever-increasing rise in overhead. It would then be in a strong 

 position to capitalize on mission opportunities that NASA so uniquely provides, 

 and NASA would retain its mantle of leadership in this scientific arena. 



Finding for Funding 



• An essentially constant level of funding during a period of increasing demand 

 for development of project activities has spread resources very thinly and 

 seriously eroded the ground-based research program without providing 

 adequate stimulus to the project activities. 



Recommendations 



• NASA should significantly enhance the ground- and space-based research 

 capabilities and infrastructure (funding, inhouse manpower, and facilities) of 

 the Exobiology Program in order to maintain the Agency's leadership role, to 

 implement the science strategies recommended by NASA and NAS advisory 

 committees, to capitalize on the existing data base, and to optimize the 

 design and scientific return of future missions. 



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