Published on Friday, 6 December 2024 at 2:55:11 PM
After nearly 40 years of silence, Carnarvon's iconic NASA-linked OTC satellite dish is blasting back to life!
The dish received its first radar signal since 1987, marking a major milestone in its revival by Canadian aerospace company ThothX.
Shire President Smith remarked, “The dish has been a symbol of Carnarvon's connection to space exploration for generations. Seeing it spring back to life after 40 years isn't just exciting – it's a real asset for our community. This project represents both our heritage and our future, and we’re proud to see our town playing a role in Australia's space industry."
From cleaning away decades of pigeon droppings to meticulously oiling the dish's bearings, the ThothX team’s efforts have paid off. These efforts were focused on bringing the dish back online and proving its functionality after decades of dormancy. This was a crucial first step toward the larger goal of restoring the dish to full operational capacity.
ThothX Chief Executive Brendan Quine stated, "This gives us a proof-of-concept for the project and allows us to move forward to the next step, which is to finish the refurbishment."
Their ultimate goal is transforming the site into a cutting-edge satellite tracking facility capable of monitoring spacecraft up to 50,000 kilometers away. This facility will provide data for both commercial and military applications.
This isn't just a comeback story; it's a giant leap forward for the dish and an exciting development for Carnarvon.
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For more information, please contact the Shire of Carnarvon at 9941 0000 or email shire@carnarvon.wa.gov.au
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