D40. Aerial photo of Red Lake tracking station, circa 1961.

In the foreground is the Powerhouse, fuel tank and related structures to provide backup power in case of failure of the supply from Woomera Tech Area. Just behind the Powerhouse is what appears to be the air-comnditioned crew building.

To the right are the transformers beside the power poles bringing electricity from Woomera – the access road comes from the right.

Just to the left of the T-intersection is the Ground to Air Transmitter van and antenna.

In the distance, at the end of the access road is the Telemetry and Control Building and the FPS-16 Radar is around 300 metres away along the road to the left.

Undated transparency from the Tidbinbilla archives.
Scan: Colin Mackellar.

D38. Aerial photo of the Red Lake Telemetry and Control Building, showing the two height-diversity quad helix antennae.

The tall Telemetry Boresight Antenna is in the foreground.

Note the four men standing on the right, between the T&C Building and the water tank.

Undated transparency from the Tidbinbilla archives.
Scan: Colin Mackellar.

D39. The Red Lake Telemetry and Control Building..

Undated transparency from the Tidbinbilla archives.
Scan: Colin Mackellar.

D42. The northern Telemetry antenna. Photo taken from the southern antenna. T&C Building at right.

Undated transparency from the Tidbinbilla archives.
Scan: Colin Mackellar.

Bill Miller and one of the Clearance signs at Red Lake.

Bill worked in the Telemetry section at Red Lake through Project Mercury.

The Red Lake Telemetry Building.

Bill writes,

“The set up at Red Lake was: A small team of Yanks came into the empty building and began installing racks, running cables and generally setting up the skeleton.
We got the antennas working and other outside things.

The racks were filled with commercially available equipment:
Tape recorders from Ampex, receivers from Nems-Clarke, power supplies etc.
They did a great job which I watched with envy.

Tom Reid’s team calibrated and got all going.
I was responsible for the Ampex recorders and their operation.

Large, Much larger (4MB).

Transparency: Bill Miller.
Scan and photo restoration: Colin Mackellar.

Inside the Red Lake Telemetry Building,
in the Telemetry Area.

Bill Miller writes,

“I had three tape recorders to mind. Two instrument recorders: half inch tape and 120 ins per second, and a wonderful Magnacorder quarter inch tape and was the machine all audio Hi Fi freaks desired (it recorded the voice transmissions).”

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Transparency: Bill Miller.
Scan and photo restoration: Colin Mackellar.

The 25 foot (7.6 metre) Telemetry antenna for Project Mercury, at the northern end of the Telemetry building, looking north.

Bill writes:

“The height diversity antennas were not auto track. They were driven by data from the FPS 16 radar. A very useful part of things, because it could find the horizon point that the capsule would emerge from.”

Photo: Bill Miller.

The 35 foot (10.7 metre) Telemetry antenna, looking south.

Photo: Bill Miller.

Alan Christie (ex-Navy) with test equipment.

Photo: Bill Miller.

Bill Miller with test equipment.

Photo: Bill Miller.

Bill’s desk, “full of Rohde & Schwarz test equipment”.

Photo: Bill Miller.

Bill Miller at Red Lake Mercury Space Tracking Station Number 9.

Photo: Bill Miller.

In 1963, Jan Delgado (DSS41 and Minitrack at Island Lagoon) and Dick Roberts (Comcen Adelaide) took a day drive to Red Lake.

This photo is looking from the intersection with the road to the FPS-16 radar.

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Behind Jan is the T&C building and the 25 foot telemetry antenna.
(The additional antenna in the photos by Bill Miller and the 1961 footage has been removed.)

Photo: Dick Roberts. Scan: Jan Delgado.

The telemetry antenna at the northern end of the Telemetry building.

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Photo: Jan Delgado.

The FPS-16 Radar.

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Looking NNW.

The FPS-16 boresight tower is just visible on the right.
Photo: Jan Delgado.

The Red Lake FPS-16 Radar.

Tom Sheehan, who who visited Red Lake when working on the IRACQ modification for RCA, says that the specifications for FPS-16 radars included an all-white painted building, for thermal control. The Red Lake building was not painted white, for reasons best known to WRE.

Photo from the book Woomera, by Ivan Southall, © Angus and Robertson Ltd., 1962.