Island Lagoon, Tidbinbilla, Orroral Valley, Honeysuckle Creek
1933 - 2024
|
Stew Burton at the Tidbinbilla 50th anniversary celebrations on 19th March 2015.
|
|
|
Stew Burton had wide experience in space tracking as a veteran of DSS42 Tidbinbilla, DSS41 Island Lagoon, Orroral Valley, Honeysuckle Creek, and DSS43 Tidbinbilla.
He came to space tracking after a stint in the Army and recalled receiving radio signals from Sputnik 1 as it circled the Earth in October 1957.
Stew began at Tidbinbilla in August 1967 and spent his shift hours at the receiver console until the Surveyor missions ended. He recalled them as “Memorable times with great people.”
He was seconded to Honeysuckle Creek to help out during Apollo 8, and recalled the 12 hour shifts for that first lunar mission.
From 1970 to late 1971 he was at DSS41 Island Lagoon, Woomera, and then moved back to Tidbinbilla where, as a seasoned Receiver operator, he spent much time on DSS43. Somehow, he also found time to work at Orroral Valley.
Stew is remembered as gentle and caring, and as someone who was concerned to help preserve the history of the tracking stations.
|
Photo: Stew at Tidbinbilla in the late 1970s or early 1980s.
|
|
|
|
Les Fielke and Stew Burton at Tidbinbilla at about the same time.
Photo with thanks to Bill Keegan.
|
|
|
|
Stew is pictured here at the Tidbinbilla 50th anniversary celebrations in March 2015. He is holding a social club sign he’d kept from the early 1970s.
|
|
|
