Last updated September 3, 2019 at 11:48 am
From the Dreamtime to 2019, Australia has a rich history in space.
Discover Australia’s incredible history in helping understand our place in the universe. From the beginning of Indigenous astronomy to today, Australia has always played a leading role in space.
In 1947 the Woomera Test Range was established to support rocket development and launches. Both the British and European efforts made use of the site.
Woomera also saw the launch of WRESAT1, Australia’s first home-designed, built and launched satellite. This made Australia only the third country in the world to achieve such a feat.
More recently Australian astronauts Paul Scully-Power and Andy Thomas flew to space as part of NASA missions. In addition, tracking stations around the country have been central to supporting NASA space missions.
And famously, Honeysuckle Creek and “The Dish” in Parkes played vital roles in the Apollo missions, including receiving television transmissions from the Moon of humanity’s first steps.
The future looks bright with the establishment of the Australian Space Agency, headed by Megan Clark. Based at Adelaide’s Lot Fourteen, the Agency will create brand new chapters in the story of Australia in space.
Video courtesy of the South Australian Space Industry Centre
