Paul Scully-Power facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Paul Desmond Scully-Power
AM GOSE FRAeS
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| Born | May 28, 1944 Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
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| Nationality | Australian-American |
| Occupation | Oceanographer |
| Space career | |
| U.S. Navy Payload Specialist | |
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Time in space
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8d 05h 23m |
| Missions | STS-41-G |
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Mission insignia
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Paul Desmond Scully-Power is an amazing Australian-American oceanographer, a science expert, and even an astronaut! He was born on May 28, 1944. In 1984, he made history by flying into space on a NASA Space Shuttle mission called STS-41-G. He was the very first person born in Australia to travel to space. He also holds another unique record: he was the first astronaut to have a beard!
While in space, Paul Scully-Power made an important discovery. He confirmed that "spiral eddies" exist in the ocean and could even see them with his own eyes from space. These are like giant swirling patterns in the water. After his space journey, Scully-Power continued to work in private companies. He is known worldwide as an expert in remote sensing, which is about gathering information from a distance. This includes using visible light, infrared, radar, and sound waves. He is also an expert in security, aviation, and aerospace.
In 2004, he received a special award called the Member of the Order of Australia (AM). This was for his great work in oceanography and space remote sensing. It also recognized his help to government groups and his efforts to teach people about protecting the environment.
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Early life and learning
Paul Scully-Power was born in Sydney, Australia. He went to schools in London and also in Sydney. He studied applied mathematics at the University of Sydney. He earned his Bachelor of Science degree in 1966 and a Diploma of Education in 1967.
Career journey
In January 1967, after finishing university, Scully-Power was asked by the Royal Australian Navy to start their first group focused on oceanography. He was the first leader of this oceanographic group until July 1972.
From 1972 to 1974, he worked as an exchange scientist with the United States Navy. He helped with the Earth Observations team on the Skylab Project. Since then, he has worked on space oceanography for every crewed spacecraft mission.
In 1974, he returned to Australia. He planned and carried out a big project called ANZUS EDDY. This was a joint effort with Australia, New Zealand, and the United States. It was the first time oceanography and sound measurements were combined to study an ocean eddy.
In 1977, he moved to the United States. He joined the Naval Underwater Systems Center. He became a U.S. citizen in 1982.
Becoming a NASA astronaut
In June 1984, NASA chose Scully-Power to be a Payload Specialist for a Space Shuttle mission. This mission would study Earth sciences. His space flight was on Challenger (mission STS-41-G). It launched and landed at the Kennedy Space Center, Florida.
STS-41-G was special because it was the first mission with seven crew members. It also showed that astronauts could transfer fuel between spacecraft in orbit. During the eight-day flight, the crew put a satellite into space to study Earth's radiation. They also took scientific pictures of Earth and practiced refueling a satellite.
By the end of his mission, Scully-Power had traveled over 3.4 million miles. He orbited Earth 133 times and spent over 197 hours in space.
His main job was to study spiral eddies in the ocean. At the time, people thought these eddies were rare. But he was able to photograph them with a regular camera. He showed that they were actually very common everywhere.
NASA first wanted him to shave his beard before flying to space. However, they allowed him to keep it. He proved that his beard did not stop his helmet from sealing properly.
Working in companies
In 2004, Scully-Power became the Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of Tenix Group. This was Australia's largest defense and technology company. In 2007, he became chairman and CEO of SensorConnect Inc., a high-tech company in Silicon Valley.
Scully-Power has a lot of experience in business, government, and science in many countries. He is well-known in areas like defense, national security, aviation, aerospace, and marine science.
He has also been involved with many important groups. He was the chairman of the Australian Civil Aviation Safety Authority. He was also the first chairman of the Queensland Premier's Science and Technology Council. Before that, he spent over twenty years in the United States. There, he managed many high-tech and defense programs. He worked with the U.S. Navy, NASA, the Pentagon, and the White House.
Scully-Power was the first president of the U.N. International Commission on Space Oceanography. He is qualified to fly in full pressure suits for the United States Air Force. He was also an instructor for flight crews at the Astronaut Office in Houston, Texas.
He is involved in many community groups. He is a patron of the Australian Aviation Museum. He is also a founding member of the advisory board for Environment Business Australia. A large painting of Dr. Scully-Power is displayed in the National Portrait Gallery in Canberra.
Awards and special honors
Paul Scully-Power has received many important awards, including:
- U.S. Navy Distinguished Service Medal
- NASA Space Flight Medal
- United States Presidential Letter of Commendation
- U.S. Congressional Certificate of Merit
- The Albatross Laureate (sometimes called Oceanography's 'Nobel Prize')
- The Order of the Decibel (the highest award in underwater acoustics)
- Oswald Watt Gold Medal (Australia's highest aviation award)
- Member of the Order of Australia (AM)
- Grand Officer (Second Class) of the Order of the Star of Ethiopia (GOSE) (for creating a water filter system)
Personal life
Scully-Power is married and has six children. For fun, he enjoys playing squash and racketball, sailing, and reading books.
Technical papers and discoveries
Paul Scully-Power is a world expert in remote sensing. He has earned the highest science degree, a Doctor of Science in Applied Mathematics, for his work. He has written over ninety international scientific reports and articles. He made a major discovery: the phenomenon of ocean spiral eddies.
He has published work in many science fields. These include physical oceanography, underwater acoustics, remote sensing, and applied mathematics.
Books about him
- Oceans to Orbit: The Story of Australia's First Man in Space, Paul Scully-Power, 1995, by Colin Burgess.
- Australia's Astronauts: Three Men and a Spaceflight Dream, 1999, by Colin Burgess.
- Australia's Astronauts: Countdown to a Spaceflight Dream, 2009, by Colin Burgess.
