‘…Twinkle little star, how I wonder what you are?’ aptly describes how people across Australia felt as they gazed up at the first satellites orbiting the Earth. Most Australian states, including South Australia, had teams of volunteer “Moonwatchers” who were part of a world-wide network of amateur satellite trackers established to assist with the optical tracking of early USA satellites. Australian Moonwatch groups made some significant early satellite observations, including solving a few satellite mysteries.
Join space historian Kerrie Dougherty as she unfolds the story of early Australian space tracking and the role of local Moonwatchers and tracking stations in contributing to the Wonder and excitement of early space exploration.
Presented by Australian Space Discovery Centre