First Aussie: Dr. Philip Chapman, Apollo’s Astronaut from “Down Under,” Part Two by Emily Carney | Jun 10, 2020
https://space.nss.org/first-aussie-dr-philip-chapman-apollos-astronaut-from-down-under-part-two/A Father’s Day Story: How A 1960s Astronaut Inspired His Son To Make Quantum Computing History Five Decades Later (1)
Paul Smith-Goodson Jun 16, 2022,04:48pm EDT
Early photo of Philip Chapman and his son CHAPMAN FAMILYAs a technology analyst, I follow new research and developments for quantum computing, AI, and space. I usually write technical articles about those subjects, but this year I wanted to do something special for Father’s Day.
This is a father and son story about space, dangerous polar expeditions, famous astronauts, famous science fiction writers, AI and quantum computing. Its center is the father who made history, and by his example, inspired his son to do the same. But what’s most important about this piece of little-known history is the son’s love and admiration for his father.
The father
de Havilland Tiger Moth biplane AUSTRALIAN AIRFORCEPhilip Kenyon Chapman was an Australian adventurer who became an American citizen because he had a burning desire to be an astronaut. He served in the Royal Australian Air Force reserve from 1953 to 1955, where he learned to fly in an ancient 1930s fabric-covered de Havilland Tiger Moth biplane. It was during this time he discovered his love of flying.
Chapman was an academic at heart. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in physics and mathematics from the University of Sydney in 1956. He moved his family to the United States to attend MIT, where he was a staff physicist in the Experimental Astronomy Lab, and also earned a Master of Science in 1964 and a Sc.D. in Instrumentation from the Aeronautics and Astronautics Department in 1967.
The Experimental Astronomy Lab was also where Buzz Aldrin and other astronauts earned their doctorates. Chapman applied to NASA’s Apollo program where, out of 923 applications, only 69 candidates met NASA’s stringent qualifications. Those 69 remaining candidates were subjected to extensive examinations, physicals, and flight tests.
Eleven civilian scientists were chosen for NASA Astronaut Group 6 on July 26, 1967. Philip K. Chapman, Robert A. R. Parker, William E. Thornton, and John A. Llewellyn are left to right. Standing, left to right, are Joseph P. Allen IV, Karl G. Henize, Anthony W. England, Donald L. Holmquest, Story Musgrave, William B. Lenoir, and Brian T. O'Leary
Eleven civilian scientists were chosen for NASA Astronaut Group 6 on July 26, 1967. Philip K. ... [ + ] NASADr. Chapman and ten other final candidates were chosen to be NASA Astronaut Group 6. As a member of the elite group, Chapman underwent a year of strenuous training. The program included US Navy underwater training, jungle and desert survival courses, and learning how to fly T-38 supersonic training jets.
Dr. Philip Chapman stepping into a T-38NASA
Chapman training in the Apollo Command Module Simulator in 1968 NASAAfter completing his training, NASA planned for Chapman to fly in a future Skylab mission. The Group 6 astronauts reported for its first duty in September 1967 and supported all seven missions that landed on the moon. Chapman was selected to be the mission scientist for Apollo 14 in 1971 during which he designed experiments and trained fellow astronauts.
Apollo 14 was the eighth crewed mission in the Apollo program and the third scheduled for a moon landing. Apollo 14 famously encountered malfunctions en route to the moon. However, Commander Alan Shepard, Command Module Pilot Stuart Roosa, and Lunar Module Pilot Edgar Mitchell solved the problem in time for a safe lunar landing on February 5, 1971.
After the successful completion of Apollo 17, the last lunar landing, NASA’s budget was cut, and all space flights for Group 6 had been postponed or canceled.
Cancellation of all future lunar missions and the Earth-orbit Shuttle program meant there would be no flights for many years, so Dr. Chapman resigned from the NASA astronaut program.
Working at the bottom of the world
After leaving NASA, Dr. Chapman briefly worked on laser propulsion and the concept of solar-powered satellites at the Avco Everett Research Laboratory in Massachusetts.
In the late 1970s, he was elected president of the L5 Society (today, the National Space Society) and served on the Citizens' Advisory Council on National Space Policy which contributed to President Reagan’s’ policy on the Strategic Defense Initiative
Explorations
Mawson Station, Antarctica AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENTBefore and after NASA, Chapman led several notable expeditions to Antarctica. His first adventure took him to an obscure Australian location in Antarctica called Mawson Station as a radio physicist for the Australian National Antarctic Research Expeditions (ANARE). From there, he traveled to Taylor Glacier and established a 2-man base camp to take stereoscopic photos of the southern aurora. He spent 15 months living in a 6 foot by 10 foot wooden shipping container because his hut and some supplies blew away during an Antarctic blizzard.
Chapman in Antarctica in 1958. CHAPMAN FAMILYWhile working at Taylor Glacier, Chapman became the first person to climb what would later be named Chapman Ridge. In 1989, Dr. Chapman led another expedition to Enderby Land, Antarctica on a mission to gather scientific information about mineral resources.
In the mid-80s, Dr. Chapman became the chief scientist for Rotary Rocket. This company was ahead of its time by being among the first civilian-led, privately funded, commercial space company, building a manned, reusable launch vehicle. He also served as the chief scientist for t/Space (Transformational Space Corporation). He participated in NASA's Commercial Orbital Transportation Services and Commercial Crew Development programs for delivering cargo and crew to the International Space Station.
Dr. Chapman created an amazing legacy before his death in April 2021. He explored the world, had Antarctic mountains named after him, discovered and named Akioqtuq Lake in the Canadian arctic, designed and invented spacecraft that included the Solar Power Satellite and worked with Nobel Laureate Rainer Weiss to build a gravitational wave antenna, published novels, and raised a family. Dr. Chapman led an exciting and full life, but sadly he never fulfilled his biggest desire to explore space and to see humanity establish an off-Earth home.
The son
One year old Peter Chapman “exploring” with his father CHAPMAN FAMILYPeter Chapman has been the CEO of IonQ, a quantum computing company since May 2019. Before IonQ, Chapman was the director of engineering for Amazon Prime.
Growing up, Chapman had a rich and exciting childhood. He was surrounded by famous astronauts and exposed to his father’s achievements and world-travelling adventures. That life gave him an appreciation for the importance of science plus an awareness of its consequences.
But, unlike his father, Peter Chapman wasn’t motivated by academic achievement.
He was driven by his own personal curiosity and a need to understand and focus on the things that interested him. Those are valuable traits that have served him well in business. He developed software and built and managed high-tech companies without formalized advanced degrees or specialized training. Chapman took over the reins of IonQ quantum computing and quickly organized and developed a multi-generational roadmap to ensure an orderly development of the company’s capabilities. He made history by making IonQ the first quantum computing company to be traded on the NYSE.
His father could turn big ideas into big achievements while making them look easy. With his father as an example, Peter Chapman has developed confidence in his own abilities, allowing him to break down barriers to make the seemingly impossible happen. And, like his father, Peter Chapman seems to have succeeded in almost everything he wanted to do.
The father – a son’s perspective
Philip and Peter Chapman, photo taken in Louisiana est. 1967 CHAPMAN FAMILYPaul Smith-Goodson:
Your father started flying at a relatively young age. Was that common in Australia?
Peter Chapman:
At that time, Australia required one year of military service. From the time he was young, my dad knew he wanted to be an astronaut. And flying would probably be helpful for an astronaut. I find it amazing that in one generation to go from learning to fly in a fabric-covered plane to going to the moon in a rocket.
Smith-Goodson:
Out of curiosity, did your father have any heroes?
Chapman:
Ernest Shackleton. In fact, I think he should have been born in Shackleton’s generation. He was born a hundred years later than he should have been. He would've been happy being stranded on Shackleton’s ship.
Smith-Goodson:
From what I read about his experiences at Mawson station in Antarctica, he would have been a perfect addition to Shackleton’s crew.
Chapman:
My dad and another scientist applied for the Mawson Station assignment together. He thought it would be a great experience to help become an astronaut. He figured being isolated with a couple of other guys for an entire winter in an extreme environment like that would look great on his resume. However, his application for Mawson was declined. But fate was with him. On the day the ship was departing Sydney for the Antarctic, the guy who got the assignment my dad wanted, broke his ankle. The Australian government needed a quick replacement. They called my dad and gave him four hours to board the ship if he wanted to go.
Chapman Imperial Antarctic Metal. CHAPMAN FAMILYMy dad was working for an electronics firm at the time. He immediately told his boss, "I quit. Effective now." He was eventually recognized for his work at Mawson Station. Queen Elizabeth II awarded him the Imperial Antarctic Metal for outstanding service in scientific research for the Australian Antarctic expedition.
Smith-Goodson:
Your father had a Doctor of Science degree in a very technical field. An Sc.D is considered to be a notch above a Ph.D. He also had numerous inventions credited to him. Did he push you very hard academically and to make good grades?
Chapman:
Interestingly enough, I wasn't a good student in high school. I remember one time when I was called to the principal's office with my best friend. The principal questioned us because we had made some of the highest scores in school on a standardized achievement test. He was puzzled by the scores because we were both bad students.
The principal called a conference with my parents to discuss the test results with them. After the meeting, my dad called Marvin Minski at MIT and arranged for me to work at the MIT AI lab. He felt school wasn't challenging enough for me. My high school gave me credit for the work I did at MIT. As a result of that work, I got my first job offer to work on the world's first computerized trading system. I made almost as much money as my dad, so I never returned to school for a degree.
Smith-Goodson:
What kind of things did you and your father do together when you were growing up?
Chapman:
When I was in the seventh grade, our house had a few thousand acres behind it. My dad and I used to go camping and hunt with my friends. We went for a week at a time. The only gear we took was a fishing pole, a knife, and some matches.
Smith-Goodson:
It sounds like he was training you to be an explorer. Did you ever do any real exploring with him?
Chapman:
Yes. When I was 15, my dad brought home some huge photographs of the arctic. I know now they were satellite photos. Ordinary people didn't have access to satellite photos back then. He pointed out some mountains and terrain. He told me about a mountain in Antarctica named Chapman Ridge. He said he wanted to take me to the Arctic Circle so we could go mountaineering together and name some mountains.
The flight distance from Boston to the Arctic Circle is about 1700 miles.
However, it took us an entire year to plan the trip. I remember shopping with my dad for ice-climbing equipment at Eastern Mountain Sports in Boston. We bought crampons and other ice climbing equipment because the mountain he wanted us to climb required hiking up a glacier.
For transportation, we borrowed a twin-engine plane and a small float plane from Sheila Scott. Sheila was a very generous friend of my dad. She had broken over 100 aviation records and was the first person to fly over the North Pole in a small aircraft.