Jul 12 1969
From The Space Library
NASA program of returning man from lunar landing was based on conclusion there was no risk, Stanford Univ. geneticist Dr. Joshua Lederberg said in Washington Post. "We could not mount an effective quarantine against a real peril of global infection unless we were prepared to sacrifice the astronaut, which is unthinkable." Arguments for zero risk were "quite persuasive"-lack of atmosphere on moon, "an absolutely necessary condition for life to flourish," and fact that earth had experienced lunar material samples from secondary meteorites. Main purpose of quarantine was "to protect the samples from earthly contamination-not altogether successfully, in view of the exhalations from the landing rocket and from the astronauts' space suits. It was then reasonable to add on whatever additional precautions against back-contamination were possible without impeding the mission." Project had helped show lunar arrangements would be "quite inappropriate to a real risk, for example a sample return from Mars." For Mars program, "we must learn a great deal more by instrumented observations left there, before we can begin to design the precautions needed for samples, or men, returned to earth." (W Post, 7/12/69, A15)
"Poor People's Campaign" Director, the Rev. Hosea Williams of Southern Christian Leadership Conference, said "hungry" people from five southern states would demonstrate at Cape Kennedy July 15 on eve of Apollo 11 launch and would try to get "as close as possible" to launch site with mules and wagons. "We're not against things like the space shot, but there's been a miscalculation in priorities." (Reuters, W Post, 7/13/69, A5)
NASA said Soviet Ambassador Anatoly F. Dobrynin had rejected U.S. invitation to watch Apollo 11 launch. U.S.S.R. originally had accepted, but Soviet Embassy in Washington said Dobrynin would be out of the country. (AP, W Star, 7/13/69, A9)
USN reported eight-ship Soviet Naval fleet was heading south 25 mi east-southeast of Miami, Fla., on course that could provide view of Apollo 11 launch. U.S. carrier aircraft and destroyer escort Gary shadowed squadron, officially en route to Havana for July 26 commemoration of Cuban revolution. (Homan, W Post, 7/12/69, Al; AP, W Post, 7/13/69, A5)
Star Trek finally comes to British television after it has completed its run in the United States. It replaces Doctor Who as the BBC's Saturday afternoon science fiction show.
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