Father of Canadian Astronautics: The Life of Dr Philip A Lapp, OC

On 4 October 1957 the science of astronautics was thrust into the limelight when the first artificial satellite went into orbit around the Earth. Politicians around the world scrambled to catch up and understand the significance of this enormous achievement. At that time most of Canada’s top engineers were employed by such stalwart companies as De Havilland, Canadair and A V Roe Aircraft. However, the flight of Sputnik opened up a frontier which required a new breed of visionary missile-men. Men such as Phil Lapp. Working from within De Havilland’s newly formed missile division, Lapp immediately recognised the new world that was opening up in Sputnik’s wake. Within a few weeks of that momentous event he organised a meeting of his fellow engineers to inaugurate a Canadian Astronautical Society at the De Havilland factory in Downsview Ontario. This meeting heralded the birth of Canada’s space program. This book takes the reader on a journey from Dr Lapp’s humble beginnings in Toronto to the end of his life when he earned Canada’s highest civilian award, the Order of Canada. Related in his own words he explains what led to Canada becoming one of the most respected forces in the world of astronautics. From the Avro Arrow, the Alouette Satellite, the birth of Direct- TV, to the Canadarm and Radarsat, Phil Lapp’s story is an extraordinary tale of a unique man working in a historic time, meticulously related from his own uniquely Canadian perspective.