Carnarvon Space and Technology Museum

Carnarvon's role in the race to land humans on the moon

Carnarvon may not be the most likely place you’d expect to encounter world-changing space technology but it once played a key role in the global race to land man on the moon. The Carnarvon Space and Technology Museum reveals the area’s role in the 1960s and 1970s Gemini and Apollo missions, showcasing fascinating equipment and stories from the days hundreds of space technicians lived and worked in Carnarvon in their ultimately successful bid to help land the first man on the moon. In its day, this was the biggest tracking station outside of the USA.

Address:

Mahony Ave
Carnarvon WA 6701
Australia

Opening Hours

Open 7 days; April to September 9am - 4pm; October to March 10am - 2pm

OTC dish played key role in moon landing

The white sphere of the Overseas Telecommunications Commission (OTC) dish looms high over Carnarvon as a reminder of the region’s key role in landing man on the moon. The dish opened in 1966 and...

Collecting data on astronaut wellbeing

Because spacecraft launched from Cape Canaveral in the USA passed close to remote Carnarvon on their first orbits around the Earth, the area was the ideal location to collect data on the crew’s...

World’s first working laboratory in space

Skylab was the world’s first working laboratory in space. But it got off to a rocky start. The unmanned rocket Saturn V launched the lab in 1973 but it was damaged shortly after launch, threatening...

More Coral Coast collections

Historical homestead and gardens

The 19th-century homestead of Greenough’s notable Maley family stands amid sprawling cottage gardens and is today the Greenough Museum and Gardens. The museum showcases life in the early days of the...

Old prison protects pioneering history

Wander through the old police house and court rooms which today house the vast Irwin Districts Historical Society collection and you can almost hear the click of chains which once bound prisoners here...

Relocating Koobabbie Farm, kitchen sink and all.

This collection was saved by Coorow Heritage Group, after it was gifted three buildings and the farming equipment from a historically significant farm. Find out about the history of Samuel Rudduck and...

Monsignor Hawes - discover where he lived and worked

Wander through the former home of famed architect-priest Monsignor John Hawes and it’s easy to imagine this remarkable man inhabiting its rooms. Hawes designed and built the presbytery for himself in...

While you're in the area

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Hospitality Carnarvon, SureStay Collection by Best Western
Accommodation
Hospitality Carnarvon, SureStay Collection by Best Western
Hospitality Carnarvon is a fantastic place to base yourself when exploring...
6 West Street, Carnarvon, WA 6701
Sunsets Cafe and Restaurant
Food and Drink
Sunsets Cafe and Restaurant
Sunsets Cafe and Restaurant is a fully licensed and family-friendly cafe...
Annear Place, Babbage Island, WA 6701
The Fascine
Attraction
The Fascine
The Fascine is a picturesque bay in Carnarvon favoured by locals and...
Olivia Terrace, Carnarvon, WA 6701
Kingsford Smith Mail Run
Attraction
Kingsford Smith Mail Run
The 800 kilometre Kingsford Smith Mail Run drive trail gives the traveller...
The Old Post Office, Robinson Street, Carnarvon, WA 6701