MARSBUGS: The Electronic Astrobiology Newsletter Volume 6, Number 21, 22 July 1999. Editors: Dr. David J. Thomas, Biology and Chemistry Division, Lyon College, Batesville, AR 72503-2317, USA. Marsbugs@aol.com or dthomas@lyon.edu Dr. Julian A. Hiscox, School of Animal and Microbial Sciences, University of Reading, Reading, RG6 6AJ, United Kingdom. J.A.Hiscox@reading.ac.uk Marsbugs is published on a weekly to quarterly basis as warranted by the number of articles and announcements. Copyright of this compilation exists with the editors, except for specific articles, in which instance copyright exists with the author/authors. While we cannot copyright our mailing list, our readers would appreciate it if others would not send unsolicited e-mail using the Marsbugs mailing list. The editors do not condone "spamming" of our subscribers. Persons who have information that may be of interest to subscribers of Marsbugs should send that information to the editors. E-mail subscriptions are free, and may be obtained by contacting either of the editors. Article contributions are welcome, and should be submitted to either of the two editors. Contributions should include a short biographical statement about the author(s) along with the author(s)' correspondence address. Subscribers are advised to make appropriate inquiries before joining societies, ordering goods etc. Back issues and Adobe Acrobat PDF files suitable for printing may be obtained via anonymous FTP at ftp.uidaho.edu/pub/mmbb/marsbugs or at the official Marsbugs web page at http://members.aol.com/marsbugs/marsbugs.html. The purpose of this newsletter is to provide a channel of information for scientists, educators and other persons interested in exobiology and related fields. This newsletter is not intended to replace peer-reviewed journals, but to supplement them. We, the editors, envision Marsbugs as a medium in which people can informally present ideas for investigation, questions about exobiology, and announcements of upcoming events. Astrobiology is still a relatively young field, and new ideas may come out of the most unexpected places. Subjects may include, but are not limited to: exobiology and astrobiology (life on other planets), the search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI), ecopoeisis and terraformation, Earth from space, planetary biology, primordial evolution, space physiology, biological life support systems, and human habitation of space and other planets. ---------------------------------------------------------------- CONTENTS 1) SFU RESEARCHER EMBARKS ON MARS-LIKE EXPEDITION Simon Fraser University release 2) EUROPE AND JAPAN AGREE TO COLLABORATE ON MARS MISSIONS From ESA Science News 3) BOZEMAN SCIENCE EXPERIMENT ABOARD TUESDAY'S HISTORIC SHUTTLE MISSION By Annette Trinity-Stevens 4) FIRST DETECTION OF EXTRATERRESTRIAL ETHANE ICE! Subaru Telescope release 5) NEW CENTER AIMS TO IMPROVE FOOD IN SPACE AND ON EARTH NASA release C99-b 6) THIRD UN CONFERENCE ON EXPLORATION AND PEACEFUL USES OF OUTER SPACE OPENS IN VIENNA UN release 7) UNISPACE III DELEGATIONS EMPHASIZE ENVIRONMENTAL ASPECTS OF OUTER SPACE TECHNOLOGY IN CONFERENCE'S CONTINUING EXCHANGE OF VIEWS UN release 8) RATIONAL USE OF SPACE RESOURCES TO PROTECT EARTH'S BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY AMONG TOPICS RAISED AT THIS AFTERNOON'S MEETING OF UNISPACE III UN release 9) THIS WEEK ON GALILEO JPL release 10) GALILEO IMAGING DATA THROUGH FIRST 15 ORBITS NOW AVAILABLE By Elizabeth M. Alvarez del Castillo 11) MEETING ANNOUNCEMENT: PRIMARY PRODUCTIVITY OF PLANET EARTH--BIOLOGICAL DETERMINANTS AND PHYSICAL CONSTRAINTS IN TERRESTRIAL AND AQUATIC HABITATS ---------------------------------------------------------------- SFU RESEARCHER EMBARKS ON MARS-LIKE EXPEDITION Simon Fraser University release 24 June 1999 SFU senior researcher Stephen Braham is about to embark on the NASA-led Haughton-Mars Project, a Mars-like expedition that will further the university's exploration of high-speed, high-end collaborative information networking. SFU's participation in the 30-day field trip to Haughton Crater will also help make the university a world leader in developing a model for space-based communications connected to the Internet. Braham, a research group director in the Centre for Experimental and Constructive Mathematics, leaves for the 23 million year old Haughton impact crater in the polar desert of Devon Island in the Canadian high arctic on June 24. Created by a meteorite impact, the 20-kilometer wide hole in the earth's crust presents climatic and geological similarities with Mars such that NASA scientists are using it as an analogue site to understand geological, climatic and possibly microbiological processes on the Red Planet, and to test new communication technologies for collaboration between scientists. NASA has been conducting Mars-related research in Haughton Crater for the last two summers. At the invitation of NASA, SFU is contributing the equivalent of about $150,000 in funds, time and expertise to the upcoming 35-person expedition. Canadian companies WiLan in Calgary; InfoSat in Coquitlam; TMI in Ottawa and the federal government are loaning communications equipment to the project. "SFU's contribution to NASA's mobile exploration technology research could one day be part of the link that connects astronauts on Mars to the rest of the world on planet Earth," notes Pascal Lee, a scientist at NASA's Ames Research Center in California and leader of the Haughton-Mars Project. Braham's mission is to help NASA develop information networking models, including one of the world's first integrated wired, wireless and satellite communications system that will enable scientists traversing the crater in all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) to collaborate with each other. "My job is to help study how well models of high-speed, collaborative networking work in a remote, harsh environment. The environment is similar to Mars in many ways, and the technologies we are using could easily be used there" says Braham, the director of SFU's PolyLab, which designs computer software and hardware to facilitate communications between scientists. PolyLab is helping NASA develop the networking model being used in Haughton Crater in conjunction with SFU's Telematics Research Lab, which has already tested a similar model in emergencies and disasters, and is a Sun Microsystems Technology and Research Excellence Centre. "The networking needs of scientific expeditions, including even missions to Mars, are very similar to those in a disaster or emergency," says Peter Anderson, an associate professor of communication at SFU and director of the Telematics Research Lab. "In both cases you need a model that supports a minimum number of applications and allows for the integration of alternate, yet compatible network technologies in emergencies and remote areas." During the expedition, Braham will maintain a web site that will describe the SFU contribution to the expedition at http://polylab.cecm.sfu.ca/spacesystems/HMP. ---------------------------------------------------------------- EUROPE AND JAPAN AGREE TO COLLABORATE ON MARS MISSIONS From ESA Science News http://sci.esa.int 16 July 1999 The European Space Agency and the Japanese Institute of Space and Astronautical Science (ISAS) have agreed to open up their Mars missions to each other's scientists. European principal investigators on ESA's Mars Express mission are due to travel to Japan later this year to learn about the science on ISAS' Nozomi mission. Their Japanese equivalents will visit Europe to learn about Mars Express next year. "We are setting up a joint program of Mars exploration between ESA and ISAS which links the two agencies as equal partners," says Agustin Chicarro, project scientist for Mars Express at ESTEC, ESA's technical centre in The Netherlands. The collaboration is the happy outcome of an unfortunate incident. Nozomi was launched in July 1998 for arrival at Mars in October 1999; but just a few weeks after launch the failure of valves on its propulsion line left it with insufficient fuel to complete its planned journey. Nozomi will now wait in a parking orbit until it can take advantage of an economy passage to Mars assisted by the gravity of two Earth swing-bys in December 2002 and June 2003. It will arrive at the red planet just after Mars Express. "Both spacecraft will now arrive at Mars within a week of each other. Mars Express will go into a polar orbit and Nozomi will orbit the equator. The two missions are absolutely complementary in terms of science," says Chicarro. The two orbits, almost perpendicular to each other, will give complementary views of the planet--and the scientific instruments each spacecraft is carrying will also allow both co- ordinated and complementary observations. Nozomi has 14 instruments that will concentrate mainly on investigating the interaction of the solar wind with the upper atmosphere. It also carries a magnetometer for investigating the vestiges of the Martian magnetic field and a dust counter for studying dust in the atmosphere near Phobos and Deimos, the two Martian moons. Mars Express's seven instruments and lander will image the planet at high resolution, study its geochemistry and look for water and life. The main area of overlap between the two missions is in studies of the ionosphere and upper atmosphere. "We will be able to coordinate measurements. Some imaging could be done simultaneously of certain phenomena," says Chicarro. Information sharing between the Mars Express and Nozomi instrument teams has already begun. Useful links for this story ? Mars Express mission overview-- http://www.estec.esa.nl/spdwww/mars/html/moreabout.html ? Mars Express instruments-- http://www.estec.esa.nl/spdwww/mars/html/instruments.html ? ISAS home page--http://www.isas.ac.jp/index-e.html ? The Beagle 2 Lander-- http://beagle2.open.ac.uk/beagle2/index.htm ? Illustrations supporting this article are available at http://sci.esa.int/story.cfm?TypeID=1&ContentID=5811&Storytype =22 ---------------------------------------------------------------- BOZEMAN SCIENCE EXPERIMENT ABOARD TUESDAY'S HISTORIC SHUTTLE MISSION By Annette Trinity-Stevens 16 July 1999 If the space shuttle Columbia lifts off from Kennedy Space Center next Tuesday as planned, many Americans may recall the day 30 years ago that Apollo 11 astronauts first walked on the moon. Others may note that Tuesday's mission is led by Eileen Collins, the first woman to command an U.S. space mission. But a group of scientists and students from Bozeman will be thinking about what's tucked into Columbia's mid-deck locker and whether it will tell them anything about why astronauts are more vulnerable to infections in space. "It appears that the immune system is not very efficient when it's working in a microgravity environment," said Robert Bargatze of LigoCyte Pharmaceuticals in Bozeman. A Russian cosmonaut, for example, developed a urinary tract infection while on Mir. None of the antibiotics aboard wiped out the infection, Bargatze said, and the cosmonaut had to return to earth. He was so weak that space officials worried about him surviving the stress of re-entry. With missions planned to Mars and aboard the International Space Station, scientists need to know what effects long-term space flight might have on health, said Montana State University physicist and one-time astronaut Loren Acton. That's why Bargatze plus a group of scientists and students at MSU designed an experiment that will test the role gravity plays in the complicated workings of infection-fighting white blood cells. On earth, white blood cells stick like Velcro to the inside of blood vessels when it's time to fight invaders. Following some chemical cues, they squeeze through the vessel walls into infected tissue, where they do battle with bacteria, viruses and other enemies. Gravity appears to play a role because the sticking, called adhesion, occurs along the bottom of simulated blood vessels during experiments. But in space, Bargatze thinks, microgravity may alter blood flow. White blood cells may not stick to vessel walls like they do on earth, and without that initial adhesion the cells can't maneuver against enemy agents. "We want to know what the effect of microgravity is on the immune response," he said. "We think adhesion may be the key." The idea for the space experiment came after Bargatze's brother Lee, a graduate student working with Acton, told the former astronaut about his brother's studies. Acton became interested and helped make connections with BioServe Space Technologies in Colorado. BioServe schedules and helps prepare commercial payloads for spaceflight. "The advantage of going through a commercial enterprise is you can get a flight," Acton said. "If we went through the NASA space science program, we'd be lucky to get a flight in our lifetime." LigoCyte scientists, three MSU College of Agriculture students and veterinary molecular biologist Mark Jutila spent about 18 months developing the experiment that will run automatically 10 hours after Tuesday's proposed launch. Grants from the Montana Space Grant Consortium, MSU TechLink Center and Fisher Scientific made the work possible. In less than two minutes, sample cells and fluid will be pumped through thin capillary-like threads encased in 16 tubes. The Bozeman scientists will repeat the experiment on the ground at Cape Kennedy and compare results with the samples from space. If Columbia lands in the early hours of July 24 as planned, the scientists will collect their samples and fly home right away to begin analyzing the results. Ultimately, LigoCyte is interested in learning enough about adhesion to develop pharmaceuticals that could boost flagging immune responses on earth and in space, said Bargatze. "The space environment puts stress on the body, so it's a good environment to test potential drugs that may boost the immune system," he said. Acton's dream is for the International Space Station to make room for ongoing studies of immunology and other complex life processes, all of which seem to return to normal once a space traveler has landed. "Except the swollen heads," he quipped. ---------------------------------------------------------------- FIRST DETECTION OF EXTRATERRESTRIAL ETHANE ICE! Subaru Telescope release 19 July 1999 Subaru Telescope turned its gaze upon the most distant planet in our solar system last month. Using its Cooled Infrared Spectrograph/Camera (CISCO), Subaru obtained excellent images that clearly separated the planet Pluto from its satellite Charon just 0.9 arcseconds away. Subaru then used CISCO to gather some of the most revealing spectra ever obtained for both Pluto and Charon. Initial analysis of the data confirms that the surface compositions for these two bodies are strikingly different: Pluto is covered in frozen nitrogen, methane, carbon monoxide and newly discovered ethane "ice" (all at a temperature colder than -346°F or -210°C); Charon appears mostly covered in the more familiar water ice (also at an extremely cold temperature). The detection of ethane is particularly significant, as this material may be a remnant of the original interstellar gas cloud that collapsed to form our solar system 4.5 billion years ago, preserved over the eons by the extreme cold that exists out at the distance of Pluto's orbit. Pluto was discovered in 1930 and is the furthest known planet in our solar system, taking 249 years to go once around the Sun. It travels in a very elongated orbit which takes it from 30 AU (AU=Astronomical Unit, the distance between the Earth and the Sun =150,000,000 km or 93,000,000 miles) to as far away as 50 AU from the Sun. It has a diameter of 2274 km (1413 miles). In 1978, Pluto was found to have a companion in orbit about it, the satellite Charon (pronounced "KAIR-on"). With a diameter of 1172 km (728 miles), Charon is about half the size of Pluto which is unusually large, relatively speaking, for a satellite. It may be more appropriate to regard the system as a binary planet rather than as a planet/satellite pair. At an average separation of 19,640 km (12,200 miles or just eight Pluto diameters), Charon orbits Pluto in 6.387 days. Charon travels in a synchronous orbit always keeping the same face pointed towards Pluto, just as the Moon does with respect to the Earth. But Pluto is unique among the planets in that it rotates at exactly the same speed that its companion orbits, always keeping the same face pointed towards Charon. On June 9th, 1999, Pluto was 5.865 billion km (3.645 billion miles) from the Earth. At this distance, Pluto and Charon had apparent diameters of 0.08 and 0.04 arcseconds, respectively. Although these CISCO observations are among the best ever taken from the ground (with a resolution of about 0.35 arcseconds), they are not sharp enough to show the true disks of either Pluto or Charon. But in the near future, Subaru will begin using its Adaptive Optics (AO) unit with a potential maximum resolution of 0.06 arcseconds (equivalent to being able to read newspaper headlines twenty-five kilometers or fifteen miles away). This is sufficient to begin resolving Pluto's surface features directly. [Image caption http://www.subaru.naoj.org/outreach/press_releases/990719/] [Image 1: Pluto and Charon] Until only very recently, images taken by ground-based telescopes always showed Pluto and Charon blurred together since their maximum separation is only 0.9 arcsec as seen from the Earth. Thanks to the excellent quality of its 8.3-meter primary mirror and the stability of the atmosphere above Mauna Kea, Subaru Telescope has been able to provide clearly separated images of the two bodies using its Cooled Infrared Spectrograph / Camera (CISCO). With their light cleanly separated, subsequent infrared spectroscopy using CISCO reveals dramatically different surface compositions for Pluto and Charon. This color image is produced from three 2-second exposures taken on June 9th, 1999 through infrared filters centered on 1.25, 1.65 and 2.13 microns (colored blue, green and red, respectively). The field of view is 3 arcseconds x 2 arcseconds, with north 13 degrees to the left of vertical (east to the left). [Image 2: Spectrum of Pluto] In addition to known absorption features of nitrogen (N2), methane (CH4) and carbon monoxide (CO) (all in solid form) on Pluto, Subaru Telescope has made the first discovery of narrow absorption features due to solid ethane (C2H6). The ethane may be a component of the original primordial material from which our solar system was formed. Alternatively, it may have been created slowly (over the lifetime of the solar system) from the molecular fragments produced by the reaction of ultraviolet light with primordial methane on Pluto. Further analysis of the Subaru observations could help clarify which of these two theories is most correct. Comparing the wavelengths of the observed ethane absorption features against recently published laboratory results, we can also learn something about the physical conditions on Pluto's surface. It seems the ethane does not exist as individual grains but rather, is dissolved within the much more plentiful molecular nitrogen ice believed to be covering much of Pluto's surface at a temperature of -233°C (-387°F). The successful detection of ethane owes much to the large light- gathering power and excellent imaging capability of Subaru Telescope and the high wavelength resolution of CISCO. [Image 3: Spectrum of Charon] The Subaru Telescope observation shown here is the first detailed spectrum of Charon between the infrared wavelengths of 2-2.5 microns and confirms the existence of Water (H2O) ice on its surface. Even more interestingly, the water ice signature is not apparent in the Pluto spectrum; and none of the molecular bands seen in the Pluto spectrum are apparent in the Charon spectrum. Clearly, the two bodies have very different surface compositions. This is similar to another famous binary planet, the Earth-Moon system whose formation was believed to be due do the impact of a large body when the Earth was young. This lends support to the theory that the Pluto-Charon system congealed out of the shattered remains of a single body following a (near) collision back when the solar system was in its infancy. Subaru Telescope 650 N. A'ohoku Place Hilo, Hawaii 96720, USA ---------------------------------------------------------------- NEW CENTER AIMS TO IMPROVE FOOD IN SPACE AND ON EARTH NASA release C99-b 21 July 1999 NASA has selected Iowa State University, Ames, IA, to head up research that could lead to better food for astronauts and safer, more nutritious packaged foods for everyone. Iowa State will head the National Food Technology Commercial Space Center, working to improve food for long duration space missions and to enhance the packaging, preparation and storage of commercially produced food. NASA's Johnson Space Center, Houston, TX, will sponsor the commercial space center. The value of the five-year cooperative agreement is approximately $2.8 million. Commercial partners in the center will provide additional resources in a collaborative effort to develop the new technologies. As space flight evolves from short-duration Space Shuttle missions to extended habitation aboard the International Space Station, NASA will be challenged to provide astronauts with more palatable and more nutritious food. The Agency must also find ways to decrease the weight of items to be carried to the station, to reduce the on-board storage requirements and to diminish the amount of waste produced. The development of advanced food technologies is essential for successful long- duration missions. Improvements in the shelf life and safety of food for space flight could lead to similar improvements in commercially produced and packaged food available to the public. Partnerships with the private sector will be essential elements of the Food Technology Center, in addition to the academic institution's own resources. Following a 60-day cooperative agreement for detailed definition, a five-year cooperative agreement with a possible five-year extension will be awarded in September 1999. ---------------------------------------------------------------- THIRD UN CONFERENCE ON EXPLORATION AND PEACEFUL USES OF OUTER SPACE OPENS IN VIENNA UN release 19 July 1999 The president of Austria, UN secretary-general, and conference president urge outer space technological benefits to extend to all humankind. The Third United Nations Conference on the Exploration and Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (UNISPACE III) opened this morning in Vienna, bringing together high-level representatives of Government, the space industry and civil society to formulate a blueprint to maximize the benefits of space science for all people in the new millennium. Centered on the theme of "Space Benefits for Humanity in the Twenty-First Century", UNISPACE III will focus on developing a practical framework for the global society to maximize the benefits of space technology through international cooperation in space activities. The two-week Conference, which concludes on 30 July, is expected to culminate in the adoption of a "Vienna Declaration and Action Plan", setting out the United Nations vision for the peaceful uses of outer space over the next century. Opening the Conference, the President of Austria, Thomas Klestil, said that unless the developed world was prepared to share its technological know- how with developing countries, the benefits of space applications would be curtailed, to the detriment of both sides. He appealed to Governments, private industry and non-governmental organizations to support United Nations initiatives to make space knowledge a major contributor to human progress. UNISPACE III was an ideal platform to promote the involvement of developing countries in international research programs. He said he was optimistic that the Conference would meet its goals: promoting the use of space solutions to address regional and global problems; and strengthening Member States' capacity to use the results of space research for social, economic and cultural development. United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan said that consideration of the vastness of the universe should bring into focus the absurdity of the divisions in this small world. The expanses of space must not be used as another battleground for earthly conflicts. Technology must be used to foster tolerance, trust and shared values and not become an instrument of hatred and division. This century's plagues of war and suffering must not be passed on to the next, when the technology available will be even more awesome. The fruits of progress must be made available to all people as part of global development, he continued. The costs of space technology must be lowered and developing countries provided with the resources to acquire it. Policy makers must pursue the practical benefits of space technology for development. To achieve those goals, partnerships must be forged between nations, between industry, commercial groups and non- governmental organizations, but also across generations, since the young of today would be responsible for the scientific breakthroughs of tomorrow. In a statement following his election as Conference President, U.R. Rao (India), said that as part of its deliberations, UNISPACE III would address basic issues of the developing countries including education, training and industry involvement. There had been far-reaching changes in the world's political climate with the end of the Cold War and the commercialization of space activities. In light of those factors, the holding of UNISPACE III to take stock of space science advances and develop a blueprint for promoting its application was both relevant and timely. Also this morning, the Conference's two Main Committees were established. Committee I is to consider the following agenda items: status of the scientific knowledge of Earth and its environment; benefits of basic space science and capacity building; information needs and the global approach; and promotion of international cooperation. Committee II will consider the status and applications of space science and technology, including the environment and natural resources and remote sensing; navigation positioning and location systems; and review space communications and applications. It will also explore economic and social benefits, which includes secondary applications of space technology, ways and means of increasing the economic efficiency of space technology and its applications; promotion of the commercial benefits of space activities; and ways and means of promoting international cooperation. In addition to these two committees, the Conference established a Technical Forum as its technical body. Also, it adopted its agenda and rules of procedure. The Conference this morning also elected the following officials in addition to Mr. Rao: Vice President of the Plenary, Raimundo Gonzalez (Chile); Rapporteur-General of the Plenary, Mohammed Ait Belaid (Morocco); Chairman of Committee I, Dietrich Rex (Germany); Vice Chairman of Committee I, Alexander V. Yakovenko (Russian Federation); and Vice Chairman and Rapporteur of Committee I, R. A. Boroffice (Nigeria); Chairman of Committee II, Shunji Murai (Japan); Vice Chairman of Committee II, Vladimir Kopal (Czech Republic); Vice Chairman and Rapporteur of Committee II, Luiz Gylvan Meira Filho (Brazil); and Chairman of the Technical Forum, Peter Jankowitsch (Austria). The following were elected to the Drafting Group: Dawlat Hassen (Egypt), Mongezi Tshongweni (South Africa), Sridhara Murthy (India), Mazlan Othman (Malaysia), Dumitru Dorin Prunariu (Romania), Arif Mehdiyev (Azerbaijan); Alejandra Bonilla (Colombia); Raul Pelaez (Argentina); Gabriella Venturini (Italy), and Lynne F. H. Cline (United States). The Plenary Rapporteur will serve as Chairman of the Drafting Group. Additional members may be invited to join the Group. The Conference also appointed a nine-member Credentials Committee composed of China, Fiji, Jamaica, Mali, New Zealand, Russian Federation, United States, Venezuela and Zimbabwe. The Conference will resume at 3 PM today to hear the opening statement of the Chairman of the Technical Forum and to begin a general exchange of views. Conference work program The Third United Nations Conference on the Exploration and Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (UNISPACE III) holds its opening ceremony this morning in Vienna. Expected to address the Conference this morning are the President of Austria, Thomas Klestil, and United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan. The Conference would also elect its President and adopt its organization of work. The key objective of the Conference is to create a blueprint for the peaceful uses of outer space in the twenty-first century. All 185 Member States have been invited to participate at UNISPACE III, along with leading figures from the world of space technology and private enterprise. (For further background on the Conference, see Press Release OS/1751 issued on 14 July.) Inaugural statements [Not posted here due to its length. Full text is available at http://www.un.or.at/OOSA/unisp-3/pressrel/e19am.htm] ---------------------------------------------------------------- UNISPACE III DELEGATIONS EMPHASIZE ENVIRONMENTAL ASPECTS OF OUTER SPACE TECHNOLOGY IN CONFERENCE'S CONTINUING EXCHANGE OF VIEWS UN release 21 July 1999 The Third United Nations Conference on the Exploration and Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (UNISPACE III) continued its general exchange of views this morning. Among the views expressed was that while space technology was crucial for mitigating the effects of natural disasters, many States were unable to use the new techniques due to the costs involved. Advance warning could minimize the damage of natural disasters, yet many countries could not afford to acquire the required technology, Kenya's Ambassador, Kipkorir Aly Azad Rana said. Floods, droughts and famine could be forecast by remote sensing techniques. Africa was beset with problems, but marginalized in the field of space science and technology. Ecological disasters knew no boundaries or political divisions, Sudan's representative, Ahmed Hassan, stressed. He called for creating a mechanism through which the benefits of space science and technology could be applied equally to all countries. Developing countries wanted to benefit from space technology, to anticipate natural disasters and to prevent environmental degradation and the proliferation of drugs. In 1996, 180 natural disasters were recorded, 50 of which were large scale and required extensive international assistance, said Ambassador Raimundo Gonzalez of Chile. Today, weather forecasting through space technology was more important now than ever before. Calling for international agreement on a framework for human security, which could reduce discrepancies, he observed that dealing with natural disasters had a greater cost in developing and least developed countries than industrialized ones. Developing countries were aware of the importance of space applications, but they must accord priority to sectors such as health and food, stated Cuban Ambassador Luis Garcia Peraza. It was not enough for developed countries to offer to train the scientific personnel of developing countries, since the main obstacle for these countries was the lack of financial resources to acquire and use technology, which was prohibitively expensive. That should be the focal point for international cooperation. Ecuador's Ambassador, Patricio Palacios Cevallos, drew attention to the extensive work being done worldwide to anticipate, monitor and mitigate the effects of the El Niņo phenomenon. El Niņo had seriously affected his country, causing damage estimated at some $2.5 billion, or roughly 15 per cent of the national gross domestic product. The country was now engaged in efforts to restore the affected sectors and infrastructure. Also this morning, the Conference heard from the Chairman of the Legal Subcommittee of the Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space, Vladimir Kopal, who introduced that body's report on achievements, current work and the challenges ahead. Since its establishment in 1962, the Subcommittee's efforts had led to the development and entry into force of five treaties on the use of outer space. He hoped that UNISPACE III would be an incentive to all Member States that had not yet signed or ratified the treaties to do so, and for international organizations to declare their acceptance of the rights and obligations contained in them. The representatives of Ecuador, on behalf of the Latin American and Caribbean Group, Israel, Venezuela, Turkey, Egypt, Iran and Syria also made statements this morning. The representatives of EUMETSAT and the International Space University also spoke. The Conference will continue its general exchange of views at 3 PM this afternoon. Conference Work Program The Third United Nations Conference on the Exploration and Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (UNISPACE III) met this morning to continue its general exchange of views. Before doing so, it was to hear from the Chairman of the Legal Subcommittee of the Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space. [Note: the following two sections are not sent here due to their lengths. Full text is available at http://www.un.org/events/unispace3/pressrel/e21am.htm] Introduction of Report of Legal Subcommittee General Exchange of Views ---------------------------------------------------------------- RATIONAL USE OF SPACE RESOURCES TO PROTECT EARTH'S BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY AMONG TOPICS RAISED AT THIS AFTERNOON'S MEETING OF UNISPACE III UN release 21 July 1999 The environmental damage caused by unbridled individualism and unsustainable patterns of behavior cannot be magically repaired by outer space activities, says Holy See delegate. Outer space activities would not magically repair environmental damage being caused by unbridled individualism and unsustainable patterns of behaviours, the Third United Nations Conference on the Exploration and Peaceful Uses of Outer Space was told this afternoon, by the representative of the Holy See, as the Conference continued its general exchange of views. Humankind must take a new course of action, based on knowledge and education, to bridge the gap between technological progress on the one hand and moral primitiveness on the other, Vittorio Canuto, Adviser to the Holy See, continued. Knowledge meant awareness not only of commercial prices but of intrinsic values as well. It meant that Earth and outer space were not seen as real estate but rather as a biosphere in which humankind was but one part of the whole. The thin shell around the Earth called outer space was just an extension of the environment in which we live, the General Secretary of the International Astronomical Union (IAU), Johannes Andersen, said. Knowledge about the universe was obtained from that thin shell, which was just as vulnerable to over-exploitation as the rest of the environment. Governments should cooperate through the United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space to establish an international system of environmental impact assessment, emission standards, and traffic rules for the space environment. In space, even more than on Earth, prevention was better than an uncertain cure in the long run for all concerned. The international community had been warned of a social and economic crisis arising from overpopulation, pollution and a scarcity of resources, the Director of Switzerland's Space Office, Peter Creola, said. In future, there would probably be need to search for resources outside the planet. Rational use of space resources could be the missing link between dreams of prosperity and the need to protect the splendors and biological diversity of Earth from irreversible damage. In the history of planet Earth, civilizations had towered and then disappeared. If the challenges of environmental degradation and overpopulation were not met, this technical and global civilization might prove to have the shortest life of all great civilizations in the history of humankind. Representatives of Belarus, Colombia and Uruguay also addressed UNISPACE III this afternoon, as did representatives of the Committee on Space Research (COSPAR) and the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and Pacific (ESCAP). The two-week Vienna Conference unites Governments, the space industry and civil society representatives to construct a practical framework for maximizing the benefits of space science and technology for all Earth's inhabitants, based on international cooperation and the peaceful uses of outer space. It will meet again at 9 AM tomorrow, 22 July, to conclude its general exchange of views. Conference Work Program The Third United Nations Conference on the Exploration and Peaceful Uses of Outer Space met this morning to continue its general exchange of views. Statements [Note: not presented here due to its length. Full text is available at http://www.un.org/events/unispace3/pressrel/e21pm.htm] ---------------------------------------------------------------- THIS WEEK ON GALILEO JPL release 19-25 July 1999 Data playback is interrupted twice this week as Galileo travels through apojove, or the farthest point from Jupiter this orbit. After passing through apojove on Thursday, the spacecraft begins its journey back toward the Jupiter system, heading for another close flyby of Callisto in mid-August. The science information returned this week comes from observations made by the Near- Infrared Mapping Spectrometer, the Photopolarimeter Radiometer, the Solid-State Imaging camera, the Ultraviolet Spectrometer, and the Fields and Particles instruments. The Fields and Particles instruments are comprised of the Dust Detector, Energetic Particle Detector, Heavy Ion Counter, Magnetometer, Plasma Detector, and Plasma Wave Instrument. Data processing and transmission to Earth is interrupted on Monday so the spacecraft can perform standard maintenance on its onboard tape recorder. Playback is paused again on Friday to perform a flight path correction. Two observations are returned this week by the Near-Infrared Mapping Spectrometer. Both observations are designed to obtain high resolution spectral and spatial measurements of Io's surface. These measurements allow identification of the different materials on Io's surface and determination of where on the surface they lie. Several observations of this type were conducted during Galileo's most recent encounter earlier this month. When they're combined, they will form the highest resolution map of Io at infrared wavelengths made to date. Previous observations of this type have been very useful in discovering many new hotspots on Io. The Photopolarimeter Radiometer returns one observation this week. The third in a series of three, the observation will provide information on the surface temperatures on Callisto. The data will be used to identify and characterize relatively large regions of the surface whose temperatures are slightly higher than the surrounding terrain. The measurements will also provide scientists with clues as to how well different regions of Callisto's surface retain heat. The Solid-State Imaging camera returns three sets of images this week. The first set will yield stereo images of Io when combined with images expected to be taken later this year. Once combined, the resulting images will produce very high-resolution stereo views of Io at resolutions of 1.4 kilometers (0.87) per picture element. The next image set is part of a campaign to monitor Io's plume activity in preparation for two close flybys of Io later this year. The observations will also allow scientists to compare Io's volcanic activity with measurements of the Io torus and near-Io environment made by the Fields and Particles instruments. The camera's final image set will provide data on a cloud of sodium that has been found in the vicinity of Io's orbit. The cloud has a neutral electrical charge, and the data will allow scientists to identify the source or sources of the cloud and improve the understanding of how sodium and other neutral materials are removed from Io. In the latter part of the week, Galileo starts with a second pass through the data stored on the tape recorder. This second pass allows the replay of data lost in transmission to Earth, reprocessing of data using different parameters, or return of additional new data. This week's second pass schedule includes a Solid-State Imaging camera observation of dark material found near a ringed structure on Callisto, Ultraviolet Spectrometer measurements of Callisto's surface, and portions of the Fields and Particles instruments' high resolution recording of the Io torus. For more information on the Galileo spacecraft and its mission to Jupiter, please visit the Galileo home page at http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/galileo. ---------------------------------------------------------------- GALILEO IMAGING DATA THROUGH FIRST 15 ORBITS NOW AVAILABLE By Elizabeth M. Alvarez del Castillo, Galileo Imaging Team Outreach Coordinator 21 July 1999 The Galileo Solid State Imaging Team has delivered all imaging data, through and including data from the spacecraft's 15th orbit of Jupiter, to the Planetary Data System (PDS) for archival. These data files are available now at http://www- pdsimage.jpl.nasa.gov/PDS/public/Atlas/Atlas.html for use by the scientific community. Image products that are of special interest to the public have been available on an ongoing basis during the spacecraft's journey through the Jovian system in order to share with the public the excitement of exploration and new discoveries being made via the Galileo spacecraft. Image products from the ongoing public releases are available in multiple formats at http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/galileo/sepo Galileo scientists have a one-year period set aside for the process of calibrating and validating the full data sets. The full digital images necessary for scientific analysis are released within one year of receipt of an orbit's last data. The next delivery of imaging data to PDS for the science community is for orbits 16 through 19 and is planned for September 16th, 1999. NASA/JPL's Galileo Project gratefully acknowledges the collaborative efforts of NASA's Planetary Photojournal and the Planetary Data System in making Galileo data available to the public and scientific communities. ---------------------------------------------------------------- MEETING ANNOUNCEMENT: PRIMARY PRODUCTIVITY OF PLANET EARTH-- BIOLOGICAL DETERMINANTS AND PHYSICAL CONSTRAINTS IN TERRESTRIAL AND AQUATIC HABITATS Plymouth, UK, 6-11 September 1999 Topics include: carbon metabolism and primary productivity; ecological constraints; regional and global assessments; plant productivity and climate change Speakers Ian Woodward (University of Sheffield); The global carbon cycle. Shubha Sathyendranath (Dalhousie University); Variability in light absorption as a determinant of primary productivity in algae. Tomas Vogelmann (University of Wyoming); Regulation of light absorption by whole plants and tissues as determinants of terrestrial productivity. Steve Long (University of Illinois, Urbana); Photosynthetic mechanisms: resource use and primary productivity in vascular plants. Todd Kana (Horn Point Environmental Laboratory); Photosynthetic mechanisms: resource use and primary productivity in algae. Julie La Roche (University of Kiel); Impact of nutrient limitation on aquatic productivity. John Grace (University of Edinburgh); Assessing the primary productivity of terrestrial landscapes. Trevor Platt (Bedford Institute of Oceanography); What controls primary productivity in high nitrate/low chlorophyll regions. Victor Smetacek (Alfred Wegener Institute); The role of competition/predation in the productivity of microalgal communities. J. P. Grime (University of Sheffield); The role of competition/predation in the productivity of terrestrial plant communities. P. J. LeB. Williams (University of Bangor); Assessing marine primary productivity in situ. John Raven (University of Dundee); Photosynthesis and plant productivity in transition: limitations and constraints during early land plant colonization. Colin Prentice (Max Planck Institute, Jena); Photosynthesis and plant productivity in transition: climate change and terrestrial productivity. Paul Falkowski (Rutgers University); Photosynthesis and plant productivity in transition: climate change and aquatic productivity. Contributions : As well as invited presentations there are still opportunities for poster contributions. Poster abstract deadline: 1 August. For Further Details and a Registration Form contact Dr. Richard Geider; Marine Biological Association of the UK, Plymouth, PL1 2P; E-mail: rdg@wpo.nerc.uk; Tel: (+44) 01752-633100; Fax: (+44) 01752-633102 Organized by Richard Geider, Bruce Osborne, Steve Long and Murray Brown. Sponsored by The Marine Biological Association of the UK, The British Phycological Society, The British Ecological Society, The Challenger Society, The Society for Experimental Biology. ---------------------------------------------------------------- End Marsbugs Vol. 6, No. 21