gary
07-04-2021, 09:19 PM
ABC News has reported that Philip K. Chapman has passed away in Arizona at age 86.
Philip Chapman attended Parramatta High and was selected as a scientist-astronaut by NASA
in August 1967.
At a period when being selected as a NASA astronaut meant you were an extraordinarily
gifted individual, what was even more extraordinary was that Chapman was born in
Australia. in fact, he was the first NASA astronaut not born in the United States.
Parramatta High was the first public co-educational high school in New South Wales and I
attended there myself. Chapman's name appeared multiple times as dux on the school honour
boards for the final year he attended, attesting to what an outstanding scholar he was.
In fact Chapman's exploits both scholastically and as an athlete were the stuff of legend.
During National Service, he learnt to fly and he went on to earn a B.S. in science at
Sydney University.
At short notice, he found himself on his way to Antarctica where he was stationed at a
remote two-man base to study aurora and radio physics.
Once during a gale, the wall of the hut blew down and the boxes of tin food went
scattering over the ice field. Chapman said upon retrieving them all the labels had peeled
off, so after that, whatever was for dinner came as a surprise.
Being in isolation for two winters proved good experience in later being selected as an
astronaut.
Chapman moved to Canada in 1960 working on flight simulators before going to MIT where he
gained a masters in aeronautics and astronautics and a doctorate in instrumentation.
After gaining US citizenship, he was selected as an astronaut and he underwent jet fighter
pilot training with the USAF and training with the US Navy Underwater School.
He served as the Apollo 14 Mission Scientist but unfortunately never got to fly in space.
As is well documented, NASA astronauts were divided into those who were pilot-astronauts,
most of whom had been test and combat fighter pilots, and those who were
scientist-astronauts.
Deke Slayton had been put in charge of who flew and had a distinct bias against the
scientist-astronauts. As far as Deke was concerned, none of them would ever fly. The only
one who did during the Apollo era was geologist Harrison Schmitt on the last Apollo 17
mission.
Philip Chapman came to Parramatta High in November 1970 for the opening of the sports field.
He was a tall, dashing figure, smoked a pipe and sported his astronaut's badge - a rare
thing in the world to own then. I got to shake his hand, have a photo taken with him and
he signed a book for me.
One of the great things about Philips's legacy was that it said you could grow up in the
western suburbs of Sydney, attend a co-ed public school and go on to achieve incredible
things.
Philip Chapman attended Parramatta High and was selected as a scientist-astronaut by NASA
in August 1967.
At a period when being selected as a NASA astronaut meant you were an extraordinarily
gifted individual, what was even more extraordinary was that Chapman was born in
Australia. in fact, he was the first NASA astronaut not born in the United States.
Parramatta High was the first public co-educational high school in New South Wales and I
attended there myself. Chapman's name appeared multiple times as dux on the school honour
boards for the final year he attended, attesting to what an outstanding scholar he was.
In fact Chapman's exploits both scholastically and as an athlete were the stuff of legend.
During National Service, he learnt to fly and he went on to earn a B.S. in science at
Sydney University.
At short notice, he found himself on his way to Antarctica where he was stationed at a
remote two-man base to study aurora and radio physics.
Once during a gale, the wall of the hut blew down and the boxes of tin food went
scattering over the ice field. Chapman said upon retrieving them all the labels had peeled
off, so after that, whatever was for dinner came as a surprise.
Being in isolation for two winters proved good experience in later being selected as an
astronaut.
Chapman moved to Canada in 1960 working on flight simulators before going to MIT where he
gained a masters in aeronautics and astronautics and a doctorate in instrumentation.
After gaining US citizenship, he was selected as an astronaut and he underwent jet fighter
pilot training with the USAF and training with the US Navy Underwater School.
He served as the Apollo 14 Mission Scientist but unfortunately never got to fly in space.
As is well documented, NASA astronauts were divided into those who were pilot-astronauts,
most of whom had been test and combat fighter pilots, and those who were
scientist-astronauts.
Deke Slayton had been put in charge of who flew and had a distinct bias against the
scientist-astronauts. As far as Deke was concerned, none of them would ever fly. The only
one who did during the Apollo era was geologist Harrison Schmitt on the last Apollo 17
mission.
Philip Chapman came to Parramatta High in November 1970 for the opening of the sports field.
He was a tall, dashing figure, smoked a pipe and sported his astronaut's badge - a rare
thing in the world to own then. I got to shake his hand, have a photo taken with him and
he signed a book for me.
One of the great things about Philips's legacy was that it said you could grow up in the
western suburbs of Sydney, attend a co-ed public school and go on to achieve incredible
things.