It took more than one giant leap to share the Moon landing with the world, and Australia played an essential part in the broadcast. Here’s how it all happened.
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This episode Jesse and Harry talk ants and tech: our phenomenally successful eradication of African big-headed ants from Lord Howe Island. They also chat about autonomous cave-exploring droids and speak with star researcher Dr Elizabeth Mahony about interstellar radio explosions.
Tune in to more[Music plays and image appears of a starry night sky with the moon appearing and text appears: If you want to reach for the moon]
[Text appears: Ask the people who know the universe]
[Image appears with moon disappearing and the CSIRO logo and text appears: Australia’s national science agency]
[Image appears of an uninhabited desert landscape and text appears: For thousands of years humanity explored the earth]
[Image appears of a rainforest]
[Image appears of a starry night sky with the stars swirling and text appears: Using the stars to guide our path]
[Images appears of a mountain landscape through clouds and text appears: Dreaming one day we might discover the world above]
[Image appears of kangaroos hopping through stubble and text appears: In 1961, U.S. President Kennedy made a promise]
[Image appears of President Kennedy]
President Kennedy: I believe that this nation should commit itself to achieving the goal before this decade is out of landing a man on the moon and returning him safely to the earth.
[Image appears of the globe at night and text appears: IN 1968, NASA asked CSIRO to help track the Apollo 11 mission]
[Image appears of a telescope against a starry sky and text appears: We answered the call]
[Image appears of an explosion and changes to a view of the Apollo 11 launch and text appears: Less than a decade after Kennedy’s promise]
Male: Twelve, eleven, ten, nine. Ignition sequence start. Six, five, four, three, two, one, zero, all engines running.
[Image appears of the Apollo 11 launching and text appears: The world watched Apollo 11 launch]
Lift off, we have a lift off.
Buzz Aldrin: OK engine stop.
[Image appears of moon landing vehicle and text appears: 21 July 1969 AEST]
Neil Armstrong: Houston, Tranquillity base here. The Eagle has landed.
Male: Roger Tranquillity we copy you on the ground.
[Text appears: The lunar module touched down on the moon’s surface]
[Image appears of earth and text appears: As the earth spun]
[Text appears: Houston entrusted Australian facilities to continue tracking the mission]
[Image appears of Honeysuckle Creek Tracking Station and text appears: NASA’s Honeysuckle Creek Tracking Station]
[Image appears of Parkes radio telescope and text appears: And CSIRO’s Parkes facility with its 64-metre world-leading radio telescope]
[Images appears of a control room and text appears: Monitored the astronauts’ health]
[Image appears of a graph and text appears: Tracked the spacecraft]
[Image appears of Neil Armstrong standing on the moon and text appears: And relayed the historic images]
Neil Armstrong: I’m going to step off the LEM now.
[Text appears: 600 million people watched]
That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.
[Text appears: As Neil Armstrong planted his left foot on the moon]
[Image appears of a parade of astronauts waving and text appears: Apollo 11 inspired generations of young people]
[Image appears of a rocket launch and text appears: To dream that they too could work among the stars]
[Image appears of earth and text appears: Since Apollo 11, space research has changed our everyday lives]
[Image appears of a rocket launching and text appears: GPS services, weather forecasting, agriculture, mining, medicine, communications and much more]
[Image shows earth focused Antarctica]
[Image shows a flaring gas planet and text appears: All enabled by humanity’s curiosity with the world above]
[Image shows a vehicle driving past the ASKAP square kilometre array and text appears: Today at CSIRO, we continue to explore the universe]
[Image appears of a geothermal map and text appears: And from space, we observe the earth]
[Image appears of a telescope and text appears: We manage the Canberra Deep Space Communication Complex]
[Image appears of a satellite and text appears: And when the earth spins]
[Image appears of light beams through space and text appears: We track all of NASA’s deep space craft]
[Image appears of a planet and then an orbit line and text appears: Our team works with researchers from all over the world]
[Image appears of planets orbiting and text appears: And they still answer NASA’s call]
[Image appears of earth and a satellite and text appears: The dawn of a new era of space exploration is now upon us]
[Images move through of space, astronauts walking on the moon, and a space vehicle and text appears: Space tourism, settling on the moon, life on Mars]
[Image shows the ASKAP telescopes and text appears: It’s a new frontier]
[Image shows historical moon landing and text appears: And we will continue to help make history]
[Image shows a telescope rotating and text appears: Creating a better future for tomorrow]
[Image shows a cluster of telescopes rotating against a starry sky and text appears: To make the impossible, possible]
[CSIRO Logo appears and text appears: Australia’s National Science Agency, footage courtesy of NASA and CSIRO]
In July 1969, 50 years ago, humankind took our first steps on the Moon. We're celebrating Australia's role in perhaps *the* most iconic moment of the 20th century.
Watch more[Music plays and image appears of a starry night sky with the moon appearing and text appears: If you want to reach for the moon]
[Text appears: Ask the people who know the universe]
[Image appears with moon disappearing and the CSIRO logo and text appears: Australia’s national science agency]
[Image appears of an uninhabited desert landscape and text appears: For thousands of years humanity explored the earth]
[Image appears of a rainforest]
[Image appears of a starry night sky with the stars swirling and text appears: Using the stars to guide our path]
[Images appears of a mountain landscape through clouds and text appears: Dreaming one day we might discover the world above]
[Image appears of kangaroos hopping through stubble and text appears: In 1961, U.S. President Kennedy made a promise]
[Image appears of President Kennedy]
President Kennedy: I believe that this nation should commit itself to achieving the goal before this decade is out of landing a man on the moon and returning him safely to the earth.
[Image appears of the globe at night and text appears: IN 1968, NASA asked CSIRO to help track the Apollo 11 mission]
[Image appears of a telescope against a starry sky and text appears: We answered the call]
[Image appears of an explosion and changes to a view of the Apollo 11 launch and text appears: Less than a decade after Kennedy’s promise]
Male: Twelve, eleven, ten, nine. Ignition sequence start. Six, five, four, three, two, one, zero, all engines running.
[Image appears of the Apollo 11 launching and text appears: The world watched Apollo 11 launch]
Lift off, we have a lift off.
Buzz Aldrin: OK engine stop.
[Image appears of moon landing vehicle and text appears: 21 July 1969 AEST]
Neil Armstrong: Houston, Tranquillity base here. The Eagle has landed.
Male: Roger Tranquillity we copy you on the ground.
[Text appears: The lunar module touched down on the moon’s surface]
[Image appears of earth and text appears: As the earth spun]
[Text appears: Houston entrusted Australian facilities to continue tracking the mission]
[Image appears of Honeysuckle Creek Tracking Station and text appears: NASA’s Honeysuckle Creek Tracking Station]
[Image appears of Parkes radio telescope and text appears: And CSIRO’s Parkes facility with its 64-metre world-leading radio telescope]
[Images appears of a control room and text appears: Monitored the astronauts’ health]
[Image appears of a graph and text appears: Tracked the spacecraft]
[Image appears of Neil Armstrong standing on the moon and text appears: And relayed the historic images]
Neil Armstrong: I’m going to step off the LEM now.
[Text appears: 600 million people watched]
That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.
[Text appears: As Neil Armstrong planted his left foot on the moon]
[Image appears of a parade of astronauts waving and text appears: Apollo 11 inspired generations of young people]
[Image appears of a rocket launch and text appears: To dream that they too could work among the stars]
[Image appears of earth and text appears: Since Apollo 11, space research has changed our everyday lives]
[Image appears of a rocket launching and text appears: GPS services, weather forecasting, agriculture, mining, medicine, communications and much more]
[Image shows earth focused Antarctica]
[Image shows a flaring gas planet and text appears: All enabled by humanity’s curiosity with the world above]
[Image shows a vehicle driving past the ASKAP square kilometre array and text appears: Today at CSIRO, we continue to explore the universe]
[Image appears of a geothermal map and text appears: And from space, we observe the earth]
[Image appears of a telescope and text appears: We manage the Canberra Deep Space Communication Complex]
[Image appears of a satellite and text appears: And when the earth spins]
[Image appears of light beams through space and text appears: We track all of NASA’s deep space craft]
[Image appears of a planet and then an orbit line and text appears: Our team works with researchers from all over the world]
[Image appears of planets orbiting and text appears: And they still answer NASA’s call]
[Image appears of earth and a satellite and text appears: The dawn of a new era of space exploration is now upon us]
[Images move through of space, astronauts walking on the moon, and a space vehicle and text appears: Space tourism, settling on the moon, life on Mars]
[Image shows the ASKAP telescopes and text appears: It’s a new frontier]
[Image shows historical moon landing and text appears: And we will continue to help make history]
[Image shows a telescope rotating and text appears: Creating a better future for tomorrow]
[Image shows a cluster of telescopes rotating against a starry sky and text appears: To make the impossible, possible]
[CSIRO Logo appears and text appears: Australia’s National Science Agency, footage courtesy of NASA and CSIRO]
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