The structure, nearly 900 kilometres north of Perth, was decommissioned after a decorated history that included aiding NASA lunar missions. It was des

Carnarvon's NASA satellite dish receives first signal in almost 40 years

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2025-01-13 04:30:04

The structure, nearly 900 kilometres north of Perth, was decommissioned after a decorated history that included aiding NASA lunar missions.

It was destined for demolition before Canadian aerospace company ThothX signed a 20-year lease for the facility in 2022, with minor repairs beginning last year.

"I flew 18,000 kilometres from Canada to conduct this test and so, you can imagine, I was delighted when we managed to receive the first signals from [the satellite]," ThothX chief executive Brendan Quine said.

"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."

However, it had only been rotated a handful of times since the late 1980s and rarely beyond the range of motion needed to be stowed for the cyclone season.

Along with a new back-end radio system, the dish's bearings required flushing with fresh oil and decades-worth of pigeon droppings removed, the latter of which was an ongoing battle.