Recommendations

TO:

Glenn E. Cunningham
Mars Global Surveyor Project
Jet Propulsion Laboratory
4800 Oak Grove Drive
Pasadena, CA 91109-8099

Daniel Goldin, Director
NASA
300 E St. SW,
Washington DC 20546

Dr. Michael C. Malin
Malin Space Science Systems,
PO Box 919148
San Diego CA 92101-0148.

In consideration of the research done by independent scientists and technicians over the past decade, and in particular the most recent research indicating a reasonable probability that some objects in the Cydonia region of Mars may possibly have an artificial origin; and in consideration of the fact that no significant priority has yet been assigned to imaging these objects by the Mars Global Surveyor Camera; and in consideration of the fact that the mission goals for the Mars Global Surveyor make no mention of an effort to detect possible artifacts of intelligent origin on Mars; and as a taxpayer supporting NASA for the sake of the exploration of outer space and the discovery of possible signs of intelligent life elsewhere in the universe, I request that the recommendations from The McDaniel Report be adopted by NASA and the Surveyor Camera Principal Investigator, as stated below:

1. Priority Level: NASA and the Mars Global Surveyor Camera Principal Investigator, by agreement, will assign a level of priority to the suspect landforms that will ensure the obtaining of high-resolution photographs of those landforms, using all means at their disposal, subject only to uncertainties beyond their control. This high priority level will be entered into the imaging Target Data Base and taken into consideration in mission sequencing.

2. Area Coverage: The Principal Investigator will plan for and initiate high-resolution imaging sequences on every occasion during which the spacecraft groundtrack is within the area from 8 to 10 degrees longitude, such that the image strips include the area 40.4 to 41.2 degrees N. latitude.

3. Limited Waiver of Proprietary Rights: In consideration of the public interest in this area and of the possible importance to humanity of the resulting images, the camera Principal Investigator will follow the precedent of earlier missions by waiving the proprietary restrictions for release of data in the case of imaging data gathered during camera passes over the specified area.

4. Advance Notice to the Public: The scientific community and the general public will be given prompt advance notice, within the constraints of predictability, as to when each such pass will occur, in order to prepare to receive the data. Among the avenues for such notice will be the Internet.

5. Prompt Release of Data: The raw data for the specific area indicated above will be released to scientists and to the public upon receipt at JPL with no time delay. Video image conversion of data received in the same passes will be released in a continuous stream to NASA Select-TV, PBS, and others who desire to receive it. High priority will be given to the processing of such data and the processed data (in the form of images) will be released to the public immediately upon completion.

(date) _________________________