Home / Science / Australia's Space Ear: A New Lunar Link
Australia's Space Ear: A New Lunar Link
2 Apr
Summary
- A South Australian dish tracks NASA's Artemis II lunar mission.
- The TALON telemetry dish calculates spacecraft speed using Doppler signals.
- Australia's 1969 moon landing effort is echoed by new space technology.
Australia continues its legacy in space exploration, now supporting NASA's Artemis II lunar mission with advanced technology. South Australia's Southern Launch company is utilizing its TALON telemetry dish to monitor the Orion spacecraft as it travels around the moon. This operation, based at the Koonibba Test Range, echoes Australia's crucial role in the 1969 Apollo 11 mission, which was famously supported by the Parkes radio telescope.
The TALON dish, though smaller than the iconic Parkes set-up, provides vital information by analyzing the Doppler signal from the Orion craft. This allows for precise calculation of the spacecraft's speed, a key factor for mission success. The data is transmitted to NASA through Southern Launch's partners, aiding the crewed flight that tests critical systems for future lunar landings.
Both the TALON dish and the CSIRO-owned Murriyang (Parkes) telescope are involved in Artemis II. Murriyang will passively track the mission as part of a ground station network, marking its first crewed mission support since Apollo 17 54 years ago. Experts see the Artemis program as a significant opportunity for the Australian space industry, with NASA aiming for lunar landings by 2028 and potentially Mars beyond.
