Sun spaceman Paul Sutherland dies aged 69, with Brian Cox leading tribute to ‘outstanding’ writer

Sun spaceman Paul Sutherland has died aged 69.

Journalist Paul pioneered stories about space, the stars and planets, and made science understandable.

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Famed physicist Brian Cox said, “He was an outstanding and experienced science writer, a knowledgeable astronomer, and a good friend.”

Using the Latin expression for “to the stars” he added: “Ad Astra Paul”.

Paul joined The Sun in the late 1970s and had a long career as a highly respected editor, also working for Today, the News of the World and the Daily Mirror.

In 2009, he swept the world with his story, Life On Mars, that Nasa had found methane on the Red Planet that could have come from living microbes.

Paul died in hospital in Margate, Kent on Monday after a short illness.

He leaves behind four brothers.

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