John H. Chapman

John Herbert Chapman (born August 28, 1921 - September 28, 1979 ) from London , Ontario was a Canadian space explorer.

Life

His career began with research on radio weather and radio waves in the ionosphere . He later graduated with Masters of Science and Ph.D. in physics from McGill University in Montreal , Québec . He then worked for several years at the Canadian Defense Research Board (DRB). In 1951, Chapman was appointed head of ionospheric research at the Defense Research Telecommunications Establishment (DRTE) military-civilian research institute at the Shirleys Bay facility .

While working at Shirleys Bay, he worked on several projects. One of his projects included the development and construction of the first Canadian satellite, Alouette 1 , which was launched into space on September 29, 1962.

So far, the DRTE had no experience in the development and construction of satellites. In this respect, the employees of the research facility under Chapman were responsible for the success of the project. The researchers and their staff had to take into account all possible factors that could affect the satellite in space. Through working on the project and the success of the mission, he was named head of a government-mandated research team to study the atmosphere and advance Canada's space program. As head of research, he published The Chapman Report , in which he argued for a restructuring of the Canadian space program so that further research could be made effective and efficient. The Chapman Report is an important document for the Canadian space agency that it still adheres to today.

Chapman was also a member of the Royal Society of Canada and on the space research committee of the then newly founded National Research Council of Canada (NRC) . He was also chairman of the International Union of Radio Science and the American Geophysical Union , a non-profit organization of geophysicists.

Chapman died in 1979. Ten years after his death, the Canadian Space Agency was founded - with the aim of coordinating all research centrally. This enabled Canada to carry out new space projects. One of the most important and largest projects was the development and construction of the Canadarm robotic arm called Remote Manipulator System , which both the space shuttle and on the International Space Station will apply.

Awards and honors

Chapman has received multiple awards for his work in aerospace technology . He received his first award in 1966 from the Royal Society of Canada. In the same year he was honored by the Association of Professional Engineers of Ontario and the Dillinger Gold Medal by the International Union of Radio Scientists . In 1967, Chapman received the Chree medal and prize (now Appleton Medal and Prize ) and the McCurdy from the Canadian Aeronautics and Space Institution .

When the headquarters of the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) opened in 1992, the building was named in his honor of the John H. Chapman Space Center .

Web links

• Science.ca Profile: John Herbert Chapman
• Article based on an interview with scientists who worked for John H. Chapman