To track spacecraft continuously, a network of deep space stations must have at least three equidistant receiving points on the Earth’s surface. NASA’s first location in California had already been set up in 1958. Therefore the other two stations would have to be one-third of the globe (120° longitude) either side of this location.

(South Australia) was the first deep space station to be established outside the United States. The Australian government was already working at this site with the government of the United Kingdom on rocket and satellite research. It began as a trailer installation in 1957. The Island Lagoon site at Woomera (Deep Space Station 41) was established in August 1960. By the 1960s the station was installed in permanent buildings and was a major unit in the network. The station was operated by the Australian Department of Supply and provided support for missions until the 22nd of December 1972.

During the 1960s, six other stations were set up in Australia.

Near Perth (Western Australia), was opened in 1960 for Project Mercury, phase one of the American goal of landing a person on the Moon. A small plaque installed in the place occupied by the communications technicians console reads: ‘this plaque is to mark the spot where an Australian first spoke to a space traveller.’ The Australian was Gerry O’Connor, communications technician at Muchea, and the space traveller was astronaut John Glenn aboard Friendship 7. The station was closed in 1964.

(Western Australia) was built in 1963 for the Gemini Program. Replacing Muchea, the much larger complex used some of the equipment utilised for Project Mercury. The station was closed in 1974.

(Queensland) 22.5 km north of Toowoomba, was built in 1966 to support the Application Technology Satellite Program. The station was closed in 1970.

+ Foreword
+ Overview
+ Birth of the
...Deep Space Network
+ Function

+ NASA in Australia
+ Woomera
+ Muchea
+ Carnarvon
+ Cooby Creek
+ Honeysuckle Creek
+ Orroral Valley
+ Tidbinbilla

+ Tidbinbilla Part 1 | Part 2

+ Deep Space Station 34
+ Deep Space Station 43
+ Deep Space Station 45
+ Deep Space Station 46
+ Tracking
+ Transmitting
+ Signal Processing
+ Timing Systems
+ Movement
+ Drive Systems

+ Personnel
...+ Operations
...+ Systems Engineering
...+ Antennas & Facilities
...+ Administration
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+ Terms & Meanings

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