The search for extraterrestrial life has been limited to ground-based research and planning for planetary and lunar landings. Life-detection experiments have been developed and tested, and an important and exciting program is being planned to detect and study extraterrestrial life, if it exists. Interest in space biology has been slow in developing, and there has been some caution and controversy in the scientific community. However, increased interest is starting to push forward the frontier of this new and important scientific field, and future outlook appears to be optimistic. This summary was written and compiled by the members of the Bioscience Programs Division of the Office of Space Science and Applications. The report was edited and chapters 1, 3, 6, and 7 were written by Dale W. Jenkins, Chief, Environmental Biology; chapter 2, by Gregg Mamikunian, Staff Scientist, Exobiology; chapters 4 and 8, by Richard E. Belleville, Chief, Behavioral Biology; and chapter 5, by George J. Jacobs, Chief, Physical Biology. _Contents_ page 1 BACKGROUND ................................................... 1 2 EXOBIOLOGY ................................................... 5 3 ENVIRONMENTAL BIOLOGY ........................................ 23 4 BEHAVIORAL BIOLOGY ........................................... 43 5 MOLECULAR BIOLOGY AND BIOINSTRUMENTATION ..................... 57 6 FLIGHT PROGRAMS .............................................. 65 7 MANNED SPACE FLIGHT .......................................... 77 8 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE ACHIEVEMENTS ............................. 111 REFERENCES ..................................................... 119 chapter 1 _Background_ The biological program of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration had a late start. A small life sciences group, organized in 1958, was concerned with life support and use of primates for system and vehicle testing for the Mercury program. Three small suborbital flights of biological materials were flown in space.