The Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation is Australia's national science agency and one of the largest and most diverse research agencies in the world.
The Parkes telescope around the time of the Apollo 11 Moon landing in 1969.
Apollo 11 moon landing: celebrating 40 years
The Apollo 11 moon landing was one giant leap in which CSIRO played a significant role.
CSIRO is celebrating the 40th anniversary of the first manned moon landing.
It was one giant leap for mankind, and it was taken at 12.56 pm Australian Eastern Standard Time (AEST) on Monday 21 July 1969.
CSIRO's Parkes Radio Telescope in NSW claimed a place in history when it received the television transmission of the Apollo 11 moonwalk.
Six hundred million people watched the momentous occasion.
Restored video sample. Courtesy NASA
This video shows Neil Armstrong climbing down the lunar module ladder to the lunar surface. The video compares existing footage with the partially restored video. The thumbnail image shows the new footage on the left and the old on the right.
Three tracking stations received the signals simultaneously, which was relayed to Mission Control at Houston. They were:
CSIRO's Parkes Radio Telescope
the Honeysuckle Creek tracking station outside Canberra
NASA's Goldstone station in California.
When NASA was switching between the images, it found that the Parkes pictures were of a superior quality, so this footage was used for the remainder of the 2.5 hour telecast.
When NASA was switching between the images, it found that the Parkes pictures were of a superior quality, so this footage was used for the remainder of the 2.5 hour telecast.
For more information on CSIRO's involvement with the Apollo 11 mission click on one of the links on the right of this page, which include newly restored footage released by NASA, a 40th moon landing anniversary podcast and other articles on CSIRO’s involvement in the historic occasion.
The Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation is Australia's national science agency and one of the largest and most diverse research agencies in the world.
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