Wresat: Australia's First Satellite

Paper number

IAC-08.E4.3.5

Author

Ms. Kerrie Dougherty, Power House Museum, Australia

Year

2008

Abstract

In 2007, the Australian space community celebrated the 40th anniversary of the launch of Australia’s first satellite, WRESAT (Weapons Research Establishment Satellite), a now forgotten technical achievement for the Weapons Research Establishment (WRE), the agency which managed the Woomera Rocket Range.

Made possible by the donation of a spare Redstone rocket from the US Project Sparta research program that was concluding at Woomera, the 1967 WRESAT project allowed Australia to become one of the earliest nations to launch its own satellite, a not insignificant achievement only 10 years after the beginning of the Space Age.

This paper will present the story of the WRESAT project, covering its entire lifespan, from inception through launch to satellite re-entry in only 14 months. It will examine the scientific origins of the project, in Australia’s upper atmosphere research program, and present the story of how two WRE officers turned a casual suggestion for a left-over launch vehicle into a technology development project. It will outline the development of the WRESAT satellite, accomplished in an amazing 11 months with largely off-the-shelf materials and jury-rigged testing apparatus, its launch and operation and consider the significance of the project in Australia’s space history. 

This paper builds on, and extends, previous papers by the author on aspects of the technical and scientific rocket programs undertaken at the Woomera Rocket Range.

Abstract document

IAC-08.E4.3.5.pdf

Manuscript document

IAC-08.E4.3.5.pdf (🔒 authorized access only).

To get the manuscript, please contact IAF Secretariat.