Primate Bio-Instrumentation for Two Jupiter Ballistic Flights

A description is given of the bio-instrumentation phase of two related Army Jupiter ballistic missile flights involving squirrel monkey passengers, one of which was recovered alive and in good physical condition. These flights marked the initial entry into space, and successful return, of a primate under ballistic flight conditions comparable to those to be encountered by man. The paper describes the relationship of the instrumentation program to the biocapsule design in terms of the telemetered measurements. An outline is presented of the signal conditioning circuitry and associated transducers used for the in-flight telemetry recording of the primate's electrocardiogram, respiration rate, chest sounds, and axilla body temperature. Instrumentation related to the recording of the ambient temperature and pressure of the biocapsule, flash temperatures, and cosmic ray particle tracks is also described.