The Dish

A remote Australian antenna, populated by quirky characters, plays a key role in the first Apollo moon landing.

The Dish



In the days before the July 19, 1969 space mission that marked humankind's first steps on the moon, NASA was working with a group of Australian technicians who had agreed to rig up a satellite interface. That the Aussies placed the satellite dish smack dab in the middle of an Australian sheep farm in the boondocks town of Parkes was just one of the reasons that NASA was concerned. Based on a true story, The Dish takes a smart, witty, comical look at the differing cultural attitudes between Australia and the U.S. while revisiting one of the greatest events in history. Written by Anonymous




Cliff Buxton returns to the tracking station in the Australian outback where, in 1969, he was in charge when NASA designated it their main southern hemisphere contact with the first Apollo moon mission. He recalls how town pride, the shaky electricity supply, a worried NASA official, and even romance played a part as tensions mounted with the world depending on them for pictures of the first moon walk. Written by Jeremy Perkins <jwp@aber.ac.uk>

Genres: Comedy Drama

Release year: 2000