SUNDAY, 18th AUGUST 2013 – Starts 9am | Closes 5pm

The Canberra Deep Space Communication Complex (CDSCC) is opening its doors to the public for a close-up look at the massive antenna dish complex located in the quiet, farmland setting of the Tidbinbilla valley, just outside of Canberra.

• You can jump on a bus tour of the site with expert guides to answer all those space-related questions you’ve ever wanted to ask
• Take a guided tour to the main antenna dish – Deep Space Station 43, the largest antenna in the Southern Hemisphere
• Enjoy regular talks and films presented in our Visitor Centre
• Grab a bite to eat in the Moon Rock Café.

The Space Open Day is a rare opportunity to get a little closer to the ‘action’ with a behind-the-scenes look at the technology of space exploration and the discoveries being made in deep space every day.

Bus Tours
Bus tours leave from the visitor centre and take you on a drive around the Complex for a look at areas that are normally off limits to the public. The tours are fully guided by staff and volunteers.

There are several stops for close-up looks at some of the antennas, including:

• Deep Space Station 34 – one of our 34-metre beam waveguide dishes
• We’ll take a peek at our new antenna under construction – Deep Space Station 35 (drive by)
• Deep Space Station 46 – our 26-metre dish famous for returning the first imagesof astronaut Neil Armstrong walking on the Moon
• Bring your cameras and capture some great views over the beautiful Tidbinbilla valley which nests the massive white dishes and facilities.

Why not post your pics to Twitter or Facebook and use the hashtag: #SpaceOpenDay @CanberraDSN

Big Dish Guided Tours
The big dish on the Complex is Deep Space Station 43 (DSS43), weighing 7.5 million kilograms, 70-metres in diameter and 22 storeys high, it is the largest steerable antenna dish in the Southern Hemisphere.

Come on a guided tour of DSS43 as we take small groups down to the dish for an up close look at this amazing workhorse of space exploration which in April this year marked 40 years of operation. DSS43 will be busy tracking spacecraft throughout the day, so we can’t go climbing, but with hardhats on we’ll take you as close as we can to look up at the sports field sized dish as it communicates with robotic spacecraft which are hundreds of millions, even billions of kilometres from Earth.

Antenna Walk
A popular activity during the Space Open Day is to take a walk outside the visitor centre in a specially fenced off area which allows you to talk down towards the main building to stand opposite DSS43. You can take your time to view to the dish or, on a sunny day, it’s a perfect spot for a picnic and enjoy the view.

Talks – ‘Mars: Curiosity Rover’ and ‘The Solar System and Beyond
There will be two talks in the visitor centre during the Space Open Day. Learn about Curiosity’s incredible adventure as it roams the surface of the planet Mars and more on the dozens of robotic missions flying around the Sun, planets, moons, comets and asteroids, plus the Voyager missions heading to the stars.

SHARE NEWS ABOUT SPACE OPEN DAY

As part of National Science Week, the 2013 Space Open Day is enjoyed by everyone who visits. The entire event is free and is a wonderful opportunity to learn about the important role that Australia plays in the exploration of the Solar System and beyond.

We’d love to see as many people come along as possible, and we’re sure you know lots of people who like to join us on the day. Why not help us spread by sharing a few links with friends or put up a poster around your workplace or school.

On Twitter or Facebook: – use the hashtag #Space Open Day @CanberraDSN – include the link – shortcut: http://1.usa.gov/12z6Krg

How to get there
CDSCC is located on Tourist Drive 5 – Discovery Drive, Tidbinbilla (from the north: off Cotter & Paddy’s River Rds; from the south: across Point Hut Crossing & Tidbinbilla Rd) (approx. 45 mins from city) See our Directions page for details.

The Canberra Deep Space Communication Complex is managed in Australia by the CSIRO on behalf of NASA’s Deep Space Network. CDSCC is one of three deep space complexes worldwide, the others located near Madrid (Spain) and Goldstone, California (USA).