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 (born May 28, 1944) is an amazing Australian-American oceanographer, a person who studies the ocean. He is also a technology expert, a business leader, and an astronaut. In 1984, he flew into space aboard the NASA Space Shuttle mission STS-41-G. At that time, he was working for the United States Naval Undersea Warfare Center.
Paul Scully-Power was the first person born in Australia to travel into space. He was also the first astronaut to have a beard! During his space mission, he saw and confirmed the existence of "spiral eddies" in the ocean. These are like giant swirls of water.
After his time as an astronaut, Scully-Power worked in many private companies. He is known around the world for his knowledge of remote sensing. This means using technology to gather information about things from a distance, like from satellites. He is also an expert in security, aviation (flying), and aerospace (space travel).
He received a special award called the Member of the Order of Australia (AM) in 2004. This award was given to him for his important work in oceanography and space science. It also recognized his efforts to help the community and raise awareness about protecting nature.
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Early Life and Education
Paul Scully-Power was born in Sydney, Australia. He went to schools in London and also in Sydney, Australia. He studied applied mathematics at the University of Sydney. This is a type of math used to solve real-world problems. He earned his Bachelor of Science degree in 1966. He also got a Diploma of Education in 1967, which means he could teach.
A Career in Oceanography and Space
In January 1967, after finishing university, Paul Scully-Power was asked to join the Royal Australian Navy. His job was to create the very first group focused on studying the ocean for the Navy. 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 worked at different Navy centers, including in Washington, D.C. During this time, he was invited to help with the Earth Observations team for the Skylab Project. Skylab was an early American space station. Since then, he has worked on space oceanography for every mission with a human crew.
In 1974, he returned to Australia. He helped plan a big project called ANZUS EDDY. This project involved Australia, New Zealand, and the United States. It was the first time anyone had measured an ocean eddy using both oceanographic tools and sound waves.
In 1976, NASA asked him to be a foreign investigator for a satellite mission. This mission, called the Heat Capacity Mapping Mission, used satellites to explore how useful remote sensing could be.
In October 1977, he moved to the United States. He joined the Naval Underwater Systems Center as a senior scientist. He became a U.S. citizen in 1982.
Becoming a NASA Astronaut
In June 1984, NASA chose Paul Scully-Power to be a Payload Specialist for a Space Shuttle mission. This mission, STS-41-G, would study Earth sciences. His space flight was on the Space Shuttle Challenger. It launched on October 5, 1984, and landed on October 13, 1984, in 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. They also took scientific pictures of Earth and tested how to refuel satellites.
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 took photos of them with a regular camera and showed that they are actually very common.
NASA first wanted him to shave his beard before going to space. But he proved that his beard did not stop his helmet from sealing properly. So, he was allowed to keep it!
After Space: A Leader in Technology
After his time as an astronaut, Paul Scully-Power continued to work in important roles. In 2004, he became the Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of the Tenix Group. This was Australia's largest defense and technology company. In 2007, he became the chairman and CEO of SensorConnect Inc., a high-tech company in Silicon Valley.
He has a lot of experience in business, government, and science in many countries. He is well-known in areas like defense, national security, aviation, space, and marine science. He has also been a leader for many important groups. For example, 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.
He spent over twenty years in the United States. During that time, he worked with the U.S. Navy, NASA, the Pentagon, and the White House. He helped lead programs to develop advanced communication systems. He also helped fund major research programs at universities.
Paul Scully-Power was the first president of the U.N. International Commission on Space Oceanography. He is also qualified to fly in full pressure suits for the United States Air Force. He was even a flight crew instructor for astronauts at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas.
He is involved in many business and community groups. He is a patron of the Australian Aviation Museum and the Royal Australian Navy Laboratory Association. He was also a director of the Australia Youth Trust, which was started by Princess Diana. A large painting of Dr. Scully-Power hangs in the National Portrait Gallery in Canberra.
Awards and Special Recognitions
Paul Scully-Power has received many important awards for his work:
- U.S. Navy Distinguished Service Medal
- NASA Space Flight Medal
- The Casey Baldwin Medallion from Canada
- United States Presidential Letter of Commendation
- U.S. Congressional Certificate of Merit
- United Nations Association Distinguished Service Award
- Laureate of the Albatross (known as 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 developing a water filter system
- Life Membership of the Space Industry Association of Australia
Groups and Associations
Paul Scully-Power is a member of many scientific and professional groups, including:
- American Geophysical Union
- Acoustical Society of America
- American Meteorological Society
- American Association for the Advancement of Science
- U.S. Naval Institute
- Australian Marine Sciences Association
- Luskintyre Aviation Museum
Personal Life
Paul Scully-Power is married and has six children. For fun, he enjoys playing squash and racketball. He also likes sailing and reading books.
His Scientific Discoveries
Paul Scully-Power is a world expert in remote sensing. This includes using visible light, infrared, radar, and sound waves to gather information. He earned the highest science degree, a Doctor of Science in Applied Mathematics, for his work. He has written over ninety scientific reports and articles. He made a big discovery: he found the phenomenon of ocean spiral eddies.
He has published work in many different scientific areas. These include physical oceanography, underwater acoustics, remote sensing, applied mathematics, space oceanography, marine biology, meteorology, and ocean engineering.
Books About His Life
Several books have been written about Paul Scully-Power's life and career:
- 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.
