Carnarvon Space and Technology Museum
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Believe it or not, Carnarvon played quite a significant role in the early space industry. Its Tracking Station supported NASA's Gemini, Apollo and Skylab programs for 11 years. The station communicated with the space capsules as they are leaving earth orbit and made contact again before their Pacific Ocean splashdown. Up to 220 staff members were employed at that time.
There was also the OTC Satellite Earth Station which has now been converted into a museum. It sat a few kilometres north of the Tracking Station. In 1966, the station opened with the 13-metre-wide Casshorn antenna and became part of the global satellite communications system. When Apollo 11 landed on the moon, this antenna relayed the event live to televisions across Perth. A larger steerable antenna was later built.
The first phase of the museum was officially opened by Apollo 11 astronaut Buzz Aldrin in 2012. A second phase was added in 2014 and opened by Australian-born astronaut Andy Thomas. You'll find various displays plus a theatrette, cafe and shop in the museum. The history of both stations are featured. A full-size mock-up of the Gemini capsule, as well as a piece of Skylab found east of Esperance, can also be seen. In 2016, interactive exhibits were included to inspire the next generation. The museum's latest addition is a lunar module display.
If you're interested in manned space programs or the communications industry, then visiting the museum is a must while you're in Carnarvon. Entry is $20 per adult, $15 for seniors and $10 for students. A family ticket can be purchased at the very reasonable price of $45. A cup of tea/coffee is included in the admission price, so do remember to help yourself to this.
The museum is located on Mahony Avenue. You're welcome to come along any day except Christmas Day. For more information, including current opening hours, please visit their
website or
Facebook page .
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266295 - 2023-10-15 23:50:28