Zodiac Light Astrophotography

Honeysuckle Creek

Between 1967 and 1981 tucked away in remote bushland south of Canberra, Australia the NASA tracking station at Honeysuckle Creek played an important role for Apollo missions - including Apollo 11.

The station received and relayed the famous TV images of Armstrong and Aldrin stepping on the surface of the moon.

The station later supported the Skylab space station missions and after 1974 supported other NASA deep space exploration.

Sadly, the station was decommissioned. The 26 metre antenna was removed and then the site buildings levelled. Today little remains but concrete walkways and floors, however it makes for a pleasant day trip to visit the publically available site which is easily accessible.  It's a great destination for a picnic if you take everything you need.

The site is a pleasant 45 minute drive south of Canberra.  See the map below.

Colin Mackellar maintains an excellent historical website with a treasure trove of photographs, news and personal accounts of the station in its heyday.  You can find it at  http://www.honeysucklecreek.net

Tracking Apollo to the Moon - by Hamish Lindsay