David Kuck spoke on “Space Riches.'' He started by discussing high unit value commodities such as information and precious metals. It was the Spaniards' discovery of gold and silver in the Western Hemisphere that started immigration to the New World. The space frontier may open up if similar valuables are found. The Earth-approaching asteroids is where we should look for precious metals. The materials found in meteorites which have fallen to the Earth and which are indicated in spectroscopic studies of meteoroids indicate that such metals as platinum, rhodium, palladium, and some gold may be found in chrondites. After space processing, Dr. Kuck concluded, it should be possible to deliver precious metal fractions worth over $10,000 per kilogram. Brian O'Leary suggested that precious metals could fit in the cargo bay of the Shuttle and Professor Arnold recommended that the irons be kept in mind, as there appears to be a lot of them available. Wednesday afternoon B. J. Bluth chaired Session VII on Space Stations and Habitats. Joseph Sharp of NASA Ames Research Center spoke on “U.S. and Soviet Medical Factors in Long Duration Space Flight.'' He said that the U.S. has worked well with the Russians on this matter, that no government today has a policy for long duration space flight principally because none have enunciated the reasons for it. The U.S. is limited to short stays in space — for the first several years of work with the Shuttle it will have 7-10 days endurance in orbit. NASA is actively working toward opening up the Shuttle for nonastronaut passengers. The principal problems are [1] understanding changes in the human body in microgravity and the return to 1g, [2] a safe life support system, and [3] understanding the effects of radiation in low Earth orbit and above the Van Allen belts. The principal considerations are crew selection, management, political and legal frontiers, and social and psychological interactions. Both the U.S. and the U.S.S.R. have made a study of people in isolated environments and in dangerous situations and have investigated skeletal, muscular, cardiovascular systems and devised special garments and rehabilitation requirements. In Skylab, the crews were required to have 1.5-2 h of exercise each day. Cosmonauts spend the same amount of time exercising and wear special garments 16 h a day per mission. These garments are uncomfortable and the cosmonauts gripe about them. Humans in space lose calcium after 30 days and equilibrium is not achieved. The calcium loss continues at least 82 days. Experiments with rats show that the bone reacts in a surprising way. The negative calcium balance appears due to the decrease in formation of new bone tissue (in about 11 days). New bone tissue is not built up during the flight. This has been verified in humans from Soviet studies of the Soyuz cosmonauts. Present life support systems require too much weight, materials, and power. NASA has some small programs going but these must be fail safe and require space suits, manipulators, and sensors. On cosmic radiation, about all that has been seen in humans is flashes in the eyes seen by orbiting astronauts. Tests of animals flying in space for long periods are needed. The U.S.S.R. has been preparing for long-term systematic approach, for example, by studying plant growth. It has been found that marigolds grow well but do not develop seeds. Buttercups develop normally. Tulip buds will not open. Quail eggs carried on Salyut 6 developed slowly. The U.S.S.R. has about 1700 people working on life support systems and the U.S.A, about 200. The U.S.S.R. feels the most difficult problems are radiation and psychology. The
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