Kenneth McCracken | |
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| Born | (1933-08-07)7 August 1933 (age 92) Brisbane |
| Alma mater | University of Tasmania |
| Known for | Space science |
| Awards | Pawsey Medal(1969) Australia Prize |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Astrophysics |
| Institutions | Massachusetts Institute of Technology NASA University of Adelaide |
Kenneth G. McCracken,AO (born 7 August 1933) is an Australian physicist and leading space scientist, foundation Director of the CSIRO (Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation) Office of Space Science and Applications and Foundation Chief of the CSIRO Division of Mineral Physics. He had earlier worked in the United States of America for several years where he occasionally worked as a consultant for NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration).[1]
Kenneth McCracken was born inBrisbane,Queensland, the only child of Richard McCracken and Elisabeth Menzies (both Scottish emigrants). Kenneth was educated at Morooka Primary, Brisbane (1939), Deepdene Primary, Melbourne (1940–43) and Telopea Park Primary,Canberra (1943–44); his secondary schooling was atCanberra High School (1945–46) andHobart High School (1946–49).[2]
McCracken then studied at theUniversity of Tasmania where he obtained aBachelor of Science with Honours (BSc (Hons)) in 1954; and aDoctor of Philosophy (PhD) in 1959.From 1961 to 1962 McCracken was assistant professor atMassachusetts Institute of Technology; from 1963 to 1965 he was a member of the NASA Space Radiation Protection Committee; from 1966 to 1969, he was a professor at theUniversity of Adelaide.[1]
McCracken was awarded thePawsey Medal of theAustralian Academy of Science in 1969,[1] the Gold Medal of the AustralianSociety of Exploration Geophysicists, theAustralia Prize (jointly) in 1995 and the Ian William Wark Medal (2001) and Haddon King Medal (2003) of the Australian Academy of Science.[2] He was elected a Fellow of theAustralian Academy of Science in 1987[3] and appointed an Officer of theOrder of Australia (AO) in 1989.[2]
McCracken was the Principal Investigator of an experiment on thePioneer 7 mission.[4]
His entertaining autobiography biography is "Blast Off",ISBN 9781741106442, published byNew Holland Publishers in 2008.
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