Parkes & the Apollo 11 moonwalk
THE APOLLO 11 MISSION and the first moonwalk by the astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin was an event of unique historical importance. The Parkes Telescope in central New South Wales played an important role in the mission, receiving TV signals from the lunar surface and relaying them to NASA’s Manned Spacecraft Center in Houston, from where they were beamed around the world. For the first time, the entire global communications network was focused on an extraordinary moment in human history.
The Dish
On Sunday, July 21 (the 20th in the US) the world will celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moonwalk. Those of us old enough to remember have a vivid memory of exactly where they were when flickering TV images showed Neil Armstrong descending the ladder on the lunar module Eagle. Late generations of Australians became aware of the role played by the Parkes telescope following the release of the movie, The Dish. The film was loosely based on the events that occurred at Parkes, and was unfairly criticised by some for its lack of historical accuracy. For example, the power blackout when Parkes lost contact with the command module on its way to the Moon could never have happened given the meticulous planning and backup systems.
The lead role in the film was played by the well-known actor Sam Neill, who was cast as the director of the Parkes telescope. In real life, the director was the radio astronomer John Bolton, who had died some years prior to the film’s release. Neill prepared for his new role by studying old photos of Bolton, unaware that there was considerable footage of Bolton available from various TV documentaries. But former colleagues of Bolton agreed that Neill had given a credible portrayal of the real-life director.
