Notes

As you can see, over the years, many Australians have made important contributions to space exploration and research. These contributions have been both at national and international levels. One individual who has contributed to space exploration in a significant way is Dr Paul Scully-Power.

Dr. Scully-Power has a very long and impressive list of achievements and international recognition. His fields of expertise include oceanography, aviation, aerospace, communications, defence education and the environment. In the context of astronomy, he is best known for being Australia's first astronaut. See image 3

At one stage, astronauts became very interested in how much they could observe in the oceans of the world when looking from space. Around the same time, oceanographers on Earth were realising how colour photos taken from the air could help to identify movements and changes in the oceans. Having extensive experience in the field of oceanography and aviation, Dr Scully-Power was asked to join the 'Challenger' mission in 1984 to observe and study the oceans from space.

Since that time, Dr Paul Scully-Power has logged over 197hours in space. His observations have contributed a wealth of information in the field of ocean dynamics. Space crews and scientists have been able to learn from his amazing discoveries.

Some of his other major achievements in the field include becoming the first president of the United Nations International Commission on Space Oceanography, and becoming a flight crew instructor in the astronaut office of the Johnson Space Center in Houston, USA.
Australia continues to contribute to world space exploration through a number of highly advanced observation sites all around the country and through the work of certain individuals.