[Effect of outer space factors on lettuce seeds (Lactuca sativa) flown on "Kosmos" biosatellites].

The effect of cosmic radiation on air-dry lettuce (Lactuca sativa) seeds was investigated. It was attempted to discriminate the effects of cosmic ionizing radiation per se and its combination with solar light radiation. It was found that the number of aberrant cells in the seeds exposed to solar light was smaller than that of cells chielded with 0.

[Results of measuring the charge and energy spectra of heavy nuclei on board the artificial Earth satellite Kosmos-936].

The measurements were performed using a package of dielectric track detectors mounted behind the shield of 60-80 kg.m-2 thick. The charge of nuclei was determined from the complete track length.

Genetic effects of cosmic radiation on bacteriophage T4Br+ (on materials of biological experiment "Soyuz-Apollo").

During the experiment "Spore-ring Forming Fungi Biorhythm" of the Apollo-Soyuz test project the Rhythm-1 apparatus contained a dried film culture of bacteriophage T4Br+, growing cultures of Actinomyces and plastic nuclear particle detectors. The following were studied: the frequency of induction of r mutations in the bacteriophage film per 2 X 10(4) surviving particles, the spectrum of mutant types obtained (rI, rII, rIII), and the possible molecular mechanisms for the occurrence of rII mutants with due regard to the registered tracks of heavy nuclear particles. The studies showed that the local radiation due to heavy nuclear particle tracks plays a major role in space radiation damage.