Muchea Tracking Station 1960

A Tribute to
Muchea Tracking Station

and the flight of Friendship 7

Fifty years ago, on February 20th 1962, John Glenn became the first American to orbit the Earth.

He was tracked across the Australian continent on his three orbits by the NASA tracking stations at Muchea in Western Australia and Woomera in South Australia.

This was the beginning of Australian manned spaceflight tracking.

Greetings

John Glenn
Friendship 7 Astronaut
– to the people of Perth, and all who tracked him on his passage across Australia.

“I’ve recalled it so often, almost daily since then, that it just seems like it was yesterday to me.’

(If no video, direct link here.)

Dr Chris Kraft
Friendship 7 Flight Director.
PDF file.

“Please give everyone ‘down under’ my sincerest congratulations for their contribution to our success – we could not have done it without them.”

Dr Michael Griffin
NASA Administrator 2005–2009.
PDF file.

“We remember the warmth shown by the citizens of Perth to our emissary, John Glenn, when you lit up his path as he flew overhead in the dark.”

Learn about Muchea Tracking Station, and about Friendship 7

The rest of the Muchea material is here on the Honeysuckle Creek website.

Celebrations in Perth planned for February 20, 2012.