MARSBUGS:  The Electronic Exobiology Newsletter  
Volume 3, Number 5, 1 July, 1996.  
  
Co-editors:  
  
David Thomas, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Idaho, Moscow,  
ID, 83844-3051, USA, thoma457@uidaho.edu.  
  
Julian Hiscox, Microbiology Department, BBRB 17, Room 361, University of  
Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294-2170, USA,   
Julian_hiscox@micro.microbio.uab.edu.  
  
MARSBUGS is published on a weekly to quarterly basis as warranted by the  
number of articles and announcements. Copyright exists with the co-editors,  
except for specific articles, in which instance copyright exists with the  
author/authors.  E-mail subscriptions are free, and may be obtained by  
contacting either of the editors. 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.  
  
INDEX 
 
1)	ON LINE NASA LIFE SCIENCES RESEARCH DATABASE UPGRADED   
	Edwin V. Bell, II 
 
2)	THE CASE FOR MARS VI   
	Program Schedule (Preliminary)  

3)	ATMOSPHERIC CONFERENCE WILL EXPLORE GLOBAL WATER ISSUES 
	JPL press release
 
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ON LINE NASA LIFE SCIENCES RESEARCH DATABASE UPGRADED   
by Edwin V. Bell, II, Goddard Space Flight Center 
  
Internet users can now access the Master Catalog of the NASA Life  
Sciences Data Archive  (LSDA) on the World Wide Web.  The archive, which  
represents the first detailed and easily  accessible database of  
research results of the NASA Life Sciences Division, provides a wealth   
of scientific knowledge developed from 30 years of space-based research  
into the effects of  microgravity on living systems, including the human  
body.  
  
NASA developed the LSDA, following a detailed evaluation process, to  
provide better access  to data, general information and results of  
NASA-sponsored life sciences investigations.  The  archive was first  
introduced in June, 1995 and initially contained overview information on   
recent life sciences shuttle missions.  With today's move, the archive  
has now been upgraded to  include the Master Catalog,  containing  
detailed descriptions of experiments, missions,  hardware, and     
personnel.  
  
This information will allow researchers to plan future experiments and  
conduct retrospective  data analysis.  It will be equally valuable to  
students and educators in preparing research  papers or class lessons,  
and in proposing student experiments to NASA.  
  
The LSDA is located on the World Wide Web at the National Space Science  
Data Center  (NSSDC) and includes links to a number of other related  
Life Sciences Web sites.  Internet users  can access the LSDA at:  
http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/life  
  
The Life Sciences Data Archive is a joint effort involving the Office of  
Life and Microgravity  Sciences and Applications at NASA Headquarters;  
Johnson Space Center; Ames Research  Center; Goddard Space Flight  
Center; Kennedy Space Center; with support from Lockheed  Martin,  
Houston, TX and Moffett Field, CA; Uniformed Services University of  
Health Sciences,  Bethesda, MD; Hughes STX, Greenbelt, MD; Mains  
Associates, Berkeley, CA.  
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THE CASE FOR MARS VI   
Program Schedule (Preliminary)   
   
The main objective of Case for Mars VI will be to demonstrate the   
feasibility of inaugurating a program of human exploration of   
Mars at a reasonable cost, and to allow its continuation at a   
sustainable level of funding.   
    
Workshops at the Conference will focus on ways to mount an   
initial mission to be assembled over an 8-year period for a total   
cost of $32B (U.S.).  Of this, $16B would be the U.S.   
contribution with an additional $16B being provided by other   
countries and sources.  Strong international participation in   
this workshop will be encouraged.   
    
The morning of each day July 17-19 (Wed-Fri) will be devoted to   
plenary presentations of invited talks on major topics related to   
costs.  The afternoons will have two tracks, one for topical   
working groups for the workshop, and the other for presentation   
of contributed papers.  Working groups may also meet in the   
evenings.   
   
Saturday July 20th is the 20th Anniversary of the landing of   
NASA's Viking spacecraft on Mars.  The day will begin with a   
session titled, Life on Mars: Past, Present and Terraforming.    
This will be followed by a report on the Conference Workshop   
results detailing how human exploration of Mars can commence at a   
reasonable cost. The concluding session will be a review of the   
legacy of Viking and a look at the future of Mars exploration   
presented to a joint session of the Case for Mars and the   
Challenger Center EdVenture educator program.  A live report to   
the Conference from US Astronaut Dr. Shannon Lucid currently   
aboard the Russian space station MIR is also planned.   
   
Workshop Plenary Session Topics   
    
1.	Mars Reference Mission Design   
2.	Cost of Mars Missions, re Mars Reference Mission   
3.	Mars Sample Return on the cheap.   
4.	Mars Surface Mission - being there.   
5.	medical and Life Support low cost solutions (without 20   
years of research).   
6.	Does ISRU, automation and robotics lower costs?   
7.	Reducing the cost of Earth launch.   
8.	Management approach to low cost.   
9.	Radiation is not a show-stopper: low cost solutions to   
shielding.   
10.	SDI Technology used for low cost missions.   
11.	Robotic Precursors: Do we need them?   
12.	Human Precursors: What do we need (or want) from Station?   
13.	International Cooperation: Does it reduce cost?   
14.	Innovative ways of funding a Mars mission.   
    
    
    
   
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       |   Jul 17       |   Jul 18       |   Jul 19       |   Jul 20       |   
       |     Wed        |     Thur       |     Fri        |     Sat        |   
----------------------------------------------------------------------------   
| 8:00 |  Registration  |                |                |                |   
|      |    .           |                |                |                |   
| 8:30 |  Welcome       |  Workshop      |  Workshop      |  Life on Mars: |   
|      |    .           |  Plenary Talks |  Plenary Talks |  Past, Present |   
| 9:00 |  Keynote       |    .           |    .           |      and       |   
|      |  Viking Legacy |    .           |    .           |  Terraforming  |   
| 9:30 |    .           |    .           |    .           |       .        |   
|      |  Workshop      |    .           |    .           |       .        |   
|10:00 |  Plenary Talks |    .           |    .           |       .        |   
|      |    .           |    .           |    .           |       .        |   
|10:30 |    .           |    .           |    .           |       .        |   
|      |    .           |    .           |    .           |       .        |   
|11:00 |    .           |    .           |    .           |Workshop Reports|   
|      |    .           |    .           |    .           |       .        |   
|11:30 |    .           |    .           |    .           |       .        |   
|      |    .           |    .           |    .           |       .        |   
|12:00 |   Lunch        |   Lunch        |   Lunch        |   CC Luncheon  |   
|      |    .           |    .           |    .           |       .        |   
|12:30 |    .           |    .           |    .           |   Lucid Live   |   
|      |    .           |    .           |    .           |    from MIR    |   
| 1:00 |    .           |    .           |    .           |       .        |   
|      |    .           |    .           |    .           | Viking Commem. |   
| 1:30 |Wrk| Exploration|Wrk| The Next   |Wrk| Spacecraft |Mars: The Future|   
|      |Shp| Plans      |Shp| Frontier   |Shp| Design     |       .        |   
| 2:00 | W |     .      | W |     .      | W |     .      |                |   
|      | o |     .      | o |     .      | o |     .      |     Party      |   
| 2:30 | r | Surface    | r | Public     | r | Mission    |       .        |   
|      | k | Science    | k | Support    | k | Strategy   |       .        |   
| 3:00 | i |     .      | i |     .      | i |     .      |       .        |   
|      | n |     .      | n |     .      | n |     .      |       .        |   
| 3:30 | g |     .      | g |     .      | g |     .      |       .        |   
|      |   | Resources  |   | Education  |   | Technology |       .        |   
| 4:00 | G |     .      | G |     .      | G |     .      |        .       |   
|      | r |     .      | r |     .      | r |     .      |         .      |   
| 4:30 | o |     .      | o |     .      | o |     .      |                |   
|      | u |     .      | u |     .      | u |     .      |                |   
| 5:00 | p |     .      | p |     .      | p |     .      |                |   
|      | s |     .      | s |     .      | s |     .      |                |   
| 5:30 |                |                |                |                |   
|      |   Reception &  |                |                |                |   
| 6:00 |   CC Art Show  |                |                |                |   
|      |     Fiske      |                |                |                |   
| 6:30 |   Planetarium  |                |                |                |   
|      |       .        |                |                |                |   
| 7:00 |       .        |Wrk|            |Wrk|            |                |   
|      |       .        |   | Chall.Ctr. |   |            |                |   
| 7:30 |       .        | G | Space Art  | G |            |                |   
|      |Wrk|            | r |  Auction   | r |            |                |   
| 8:00 | G |            | o |            | o |            |                |   
|      | r |            | u |            | u |            |                |   
| 8:30 | o |            | p |            | p |            |                |   
|      | u |            | s |            | s |            |                |   
|                |   
| 8:30 | o |            | p |            | p |            |                |   
|      | u |            | s |            | s |            |                |   
| 9:00 | p |            |   |            |   |            |                |   
|      | s |            |   |            |   |            |                |   
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ATMOSPHERIC CONFERENCE WILL EXPLORE GLOBAL WATER ISSUES 
JPL press release
 
More than 300 scientists representing 30 countries, including members of 
government, scientific and international organizations, are expected to 
attend the "Second International Scientific Conference on the Global Energy 
and Water Cycle" at the U.S. National Academy of Sciences in Washington, DC.,  
on June 17-21. 
 
Under the auspices of the National Research Council's Global Energy and 
Water Cycle Experiment (GEWEX) Panel and the World Climate Research 
Programme, the conference will bring together scientists involved in the 
study of measurements, modeling and theory of processes affecting Earth's 
energy and water cycle from small to global scales. 
 
"The key to all climate problems is the redistribution of the Sun's energy 
over the Earth and its loss into space," said Dr. Moustafa T. Chahine, chief 
scientist at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory and chair of the GEWEX 
Scientific Steering Group. "Energy cannot be separated from water in Earth's 
climate system." 
 
While major uncertainties in scientists' understanding of Earth's 
hydrological cycle still remain, progress is being made. 
 
"The prediction of precipitation and fresh water resources is of the utmost 
importance in terms of its impact on human beings," Chahine emphasized. 
"This is a major goal of the Global Energy and Water Cycle Experiment 
effort." 
 
Topics to be covered during the conference include: 
 
-- Flood and Drought Prediction: Global modeling of the coupled 
land-atmosphere system. Impact on regional precipitation and the water 
cycle. 
 
-- Regional Water Resources and Climate: Use of climate information for 
managing water resources. Determining continental-scale water budgets, 
runoff, precipitation and land surface characteristics. 
 
-- Cloud, Water Vapor, Aerosol and Precipitation Interactions: Measurement 
and modeling of the cloud and radiative elements contributing to climate 
variation. 
 
-- The Water and Carbon Cycle Connection: Influence of precipitation and 
radiation on the biogeochemical processes affecting climate. 
 
-- Ocean-Atmosphere-Ice Exchanges: Measurement and incorporation of ocean, 
snow and sea ice characteristics into energy and water budget studies. 
 
Results from field experiments, new developments in theory, modeling and 
observational capability are expected to be reported. Particular emphasis 
will be given to linking disciplines such as coupled atmospheric and 
land-surface models or cross disciplinary studies connecting the water and 
carbon cycle. Advances in scientific knowledge will provide scientists with 
new information to assess the impact of these processes on water resource 
management. The conference will focus on GEWEX scientific interests 
involving the climate feedback associated with cloud, radiation and 
hydrological processes. 
 
The conference will conclude with a panel discussion entitled "Direction of 
Research on the Global Energy and Water Cycle, and the Impact of Space 
Systems/Measurements." Panelists will include agency heads from the National 
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, NASA, the U.S. Department of Energy, 
the American Meteorological Society, the World Climate Research Program and 
Japan. 
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End Marsbugs Vol. 3, No. 5 
  

