Western Australia's NASA Carnarvon Tracking Station 60th Anniversary
The NASA Carnarvon Tracking Station in Western Australia operated from 1964 to 1975 and played a significant role in supporting NASA's Gemini, Apollo and Skylab programs including the historic 1969 Moon Landing. It was responsible for giving NASA spacecraft the final ‘go-ahead’ to enter space and employed more than 200 people at the height of its operations.
In a recorded message for the station's 60th Anniversary celebrations on June 29, 2024 in Carnarvon, NASA Deputy Associate Administrator for Space Communications and Navigation (SCaN) Kevin Coggins acknowledged the immense contributions of Carnarvon's "trackers" to space exploration.
"To the people who worked at Carnarvon Tracking Station, their families, and to the town of Carnarvon – NASA and SCaN thank you for your service. You’ve helped make history and continue to inspire humankind’s future."