Exploring the Unknown: Selected Documents in ... - The Black Vault

Exploring the Unknown 141
11 months after his flight. Because of the interest in and the sensitivity about these primate
flights, NASA took considerable pains to explain how the animals were treated and what
role they played in the program, as shown in this information guide. These guidelines were
approved by Deputy Administrator Hugh Dryden, Associate Administrator Richard Horner,
and Director of Space Flight Development Abe Silverstein on 23 July 1959.
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1. Background
NASA INTERNAL USE
INFORMATION GUIDE FOR ANIMAL LAUNCHINGS
IN PROJECT MERCURY
Animals will be used in the Project Mercury developmental program to gain
information on the biological response to space flight. Problems facing manned
orbital flight essentially are engineering in nature, and the animal program will be
relatively simple in scope. Knowledge from animal flights will contribute information
to the program in the areas of life support systems; instruments to measure
physiological reactions in the space environment; prove out design concepts when
they are near known limits in such areas as high-g loads; test equipment and instrumentation
under dynamic load conditions, and to develop countdown procedures
and train personnel in these procedures prior to manned flight.
NASA has selected three animals for developmental work in the Mercury
program: rhesus monkey (Macaca Mulatta), chimpanzee and mouse. Primates were
chosen because they have the same organ placement and suspension as man. Both
rhesus and chimp have relatively long medical research backgrounds, and the type
of rhesus born and bred in American vivarium has a 20-year research background as
a breed. The chimp is larger and more similar to man in body systems, and will be
used for advanced developmental flights with the McDonnell Aircraft Corporation
capsule. A “mouse drum” will be used to study the effects of weightless flight and
may be the first biological package to be sent into orbit in the Mercury program.
(Page 2 contains a summary of flights and test objectives.)
Management of the animal program is the responsibility of the NASA
Space Task Group. Responsibility for supply, training, installation and post-flight
evaluation has been assigned to:
USAF Aeromedical Field Laboratory, Hol[l]oman AFB – Chimps
USAF School of Aviation Medicine, Randolph AFB – Rhesus
USAF Aeromedical Laboratory, WADC, Wright-Patterson AFB- Mice
The U.S. Army and U.S. Navy will provide advice and assistance through
out the program.
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