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denWoomera looks like the military plonked a heap of .mil-designed offices and accommodation in the middle of nowhere. Which is exactly what happened. And it has all the appeal of an army camp.
Right in the middle of town is the rocket park, where a heap of surplus planes, bombs and research rockets are mounted for display. All these things were used during the 60s and 70s, mostly by the RAF and RAAF, but there are some RN (Sea Slug ship to air) and RAN (Ikarus ship to ship) missiles.
Canberra Bomber converted to carry instrument packages that measured fallout from atomic tests. Other planes used here were dismantled and buried.
WRESAT. All that is left of the Australian space program. So much for being the fourth nation to launch a satellite.
The RAAF Jindavik was used to carry targets and instrument packages. The Black Arrow went to 66km, and the sounding rocket went up really fast, then down really fast
The second stage of this Black Arrow was mounted upside down and fired after the first stage dropped away at 60km. It tested ballistic re-entry temperatures. The Blue Streak was designed to be carried under RAF Vulcan Bombers
Right in the middle of town is the rocket park, where a heap of surplus planes, bombs and research rockets are mounted for display. All these things were used during the 60s and 70s, mostly by the RAF and RAAF, but there are some RN (Sea Slug ship to air) and RAN (Ikarus ship to ship) missiles.
Canberra Bomber converted to carry instrument packages that measured fallout from atomic tests. Other planes used here were dismantled and buried.
WRESAT. All that is left of the Australian space program. So much for being the fourth nation to launch a satellite.
The RAAF Jindavik was used to carry targets and instrument packages. The Black Arrow went to 66km, and the sounding rocket went up really fast, then down really fast
The second stage of this Black Arrow was mounted upside down and fired after the first stage dropped away at 60km. It tested ballistic re-entry temperatures. The Blue Streak was designed to be carried under RAF Vulcan Bombers
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Did someone say... Missile?
Date: 28 Jan 2004 15:54 (UTC)Just a lot of things in a field on concrete pads...
And they have the Mother of the Mother of all Bombs (MOAB)...
WRESAT
Date: 28 Jan 2004 21:08 (UTC)I'd never heard of WRESAT, so I did a little research. :)
http://homepage.powerup.com.au/~woomera/wresat.htm
Re: WRESAT
Date: 28 Jan 2004 22:58 (UTC)I'm pretty annoyed about the fate of our space program. Cape York is closer to the equator than Cape Canaveral, and makes a better launch site (if a little more remote.) It's not beyond reason that we could have had an Ausroc to rival Ariane, but the program was junked to concentrate on developing agricultural and mineral resources - stuff we sell overseas then buy back as high-tech produce.
It's no wonder our most innovative people move to the US or Europe.
Yes, it upsets me, especially the short-sightedness of it all.
Re: Did someone say... Missile?
Date: 28 Jan 2004 23:00 (UTC)ooooooooooooordnaaaaaaaaaaaaaance!
That looks like a Barnes Wallace "tallboy" from WW2, dropped by the 617 "Dam Busters" Squadron.
Re: WRESAT
Date: 29 Jan 2004 02:07 (UTC)I remember there was talk a few years back of building a space center down there, but never heard anything more about it. :(
I even remember doing some web searches on it, back when I first started laying out the ideas for the Kenedy Spaceport in South Texas. But, I couldn't find much of anything about it.
I imagine by 2066 Australia should have a good space port.
Since you know the territory, should it be at Cape York, Woomera or Sydney?
Scott
Re: WRESAT
Date: 29 Jan 2004 04:13 (UTC)Woomera isn't.
no subject
Date: 31 Jan 2004 00:49 (UTC)