It’s been announced that The American Insititute of Aeronautics and Astronautics is designating Honeysuckle Creek, Tidbinbilla and Orroral Valley as Historic Aerospace Sites.

There’ll be a ceremony at Tidbinbilla / CDSCC on Tuesday 25th May 2010.
All are invited to attend. There’ll be a simple plaque unveiling (see above) followed by some light refreshments. Please note the RSVP date of 18th May – click on the invitation at top left for a 2MB PDF file).

From the AIAA Press Release:

“The Sydney Section of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) is proud to announce that the Tidbinbilla, Honeysuckle Creek and Orroral Valley Space Tracking Stations have been designated as global AIAA Historic Aerospace Sites. This is a prestigious award which recognises the significant role these three Australian tracking stations have played throughout the space-faring era, particularly in support of NASA’s manned space missions. It is a fitting tribute that these sites should be recognised in this way in 2010, the 50th anniversary of treaty-level cooperation between the Australian Government and NASA.

The AIAA established the Historic Aerospace Sites Program in 2000 to promote the preservation of, and the dissemination of information about, significant accomplishments made in the aerospace profession.
Other sites recognised by the AIAA History Technical Committee include NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA; the Boeing Red Barn, Seattle, Wash.; Kitty Hawk, N.C.; the site of the first balloon launch in Annonay, France; the Royal Aircraft Research Establishment at Farnborough, England; and Tranquility Base on the moon. Currently Woomera is the only other AIAA Historic Aerospace Site in Australia.

The AIAA Sydney Section is pleased to invite you to attend a ceremony at the Canberra Deep Space Communication Complex, Tidbinbilla, ACT, at 10am on Tuesday 25 May to formally designate the Tidbinbilla, Honeysuckle Creek and Orroral Valley Space Tracking Stations as AIAA Historic Aerospace Sites. The sites will be formally designated and a plaque unveiled by AIAA President Mr David Thompson, founder and CEO of Orbital Sciences Corporation. The ceremony will also be attended by AIAA Executive Director Mr Bob Dickman (Major General, United States Air Force, retired).”