Putting on the Dish

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THE FOLLOWING IS BASED

ON A TRUE STORY:

Excuse me, sir.

You've come in the wrong way.

I'm sorry.

This is the old entrance.

The visitor's center's

back out and left.

All right... I'll

wander over there.

Well worth it. Been through

some amazing times.

This nation should

commit itself...

to achieving the goal,

before this decade is out....

of landing a man on the moon

and returning him safely.

Liftoff. The clock is running.

Godspeed, John Glenn.

We choose to go to the moon.

To go to the moon in this decade

and do the other things...

not because they are easy,

but because they are hard.

Liftoff. Go control

Tminus 1 minute,

35 seconds and counting.

Ignition sequence start

Tower clear.

Apollo 9, you're go all the way.

Apollo 10, your trajectory

and guidance are go.

Man is about to launch himself

on a trip to the moon.

Neil Armstrong.

Edwin "Buzz''Aldrin.

Michael Collins.

Next stop for them, the moon.

The lunar age is about to begin.

When the guy counts down...

the 3 astronauts will take off

in Apollo 11 for America.

The rocket will fly to the moon...

Landing module.

Landing module comes off

and lands.

The astronauts come out and get

shot my Martians with lasers!

- Damien.

- And their heads explode!

They they'll fly to

Earth and kill us!

That won't happen.

It might.

Next? Graeme.

Just a minute, Graeme.

- Melanie?

- I haven't done the moon landing.

Thank God.

I've made a model of the

telescope and dish in Parkes.

When Neil Armstrong lands

on the moon...

the world will be watching

television pictures...

from the radio telescope in Parkes.

Mr. Callen, the prime minister

wants to see you.

- Can it wait?

- I don't think so.

What's it about?

He just got off the phone

to the White House.

- Do you know who just phoned?

- No, sir.

The President of the U.S.A., Nixon.

I wasn't aware...

Thanking me for allowing NASA

to use our facility.

And something about an upgrade?

What was he talking about?

- There was a briefing...

- I don't read those bloody things.

- Are we raising this in the House?

- We should.

- What's this all about?

- Nixon referred to our telescope.

NASA requested its use

in the Apollo program...

originally as a backup receiver.

- Originally?

- They upgraded its role.

When Apollo 11 gets to the moon,

Parkes is the receiving station.

- Meaning?

- We've got the moonwalk.

The people at this place

know what they're doing?

- I believe so.

- Bloody well hope so.

Why'd they pick us?

It's the largest in the

Southern Hemisphere.

What's it doing in the middle

of sheep paddock?

The Parkes telescope, or as

we call it, the Dish....

will track Apollo 11's journey....

gathering astronauts'signals,

telemetry from the spaceship...

and most important, the TV

signals from the moon itself.

It's 210 feet in diameter,

weighs 1,000 tons....

and can point in al directions.

The most powerful in the world.

Can I have their full names

and specific roles?

This is Ross Mitchell, responsible

for maneuvering the Dish.

Glenn Latham, in charge

of the electronics.

Glenn's a Sagittarius.

He enjoys knitting...

Mitch, don't write that.

From NASA, Al Burnett.

Al's here to get all signals

to mission control.

Enjoying your stay

in Australia, Al?

Very much.

The people are warm...

Great.

You, Cliff, what's your

official title?

Cliff Buxton, director.

Or the Dishmaster.

Now I'll add a few

personal details.

- Married?

- Yeah.

- Glenn?

- Fianc, Janice Kellerman.

She's not. I don't have one.

Married. Two boys in Houston.

And you, Cliff?

Married.

And just finally...

I mean, no offense, but...

the Americans spent 10 years,

billions of dollars...

to watch man walk on the moon,

and it falls to you blokes.

How do you feel about that?

Much better before you

opened your trap.

We feel confident that we have the

expertise to complete our role.

But, Cliff...

it's amazing, isn't it?

Yes, it is amazing.

And so Australia becomes a vital

cog in this grand endeavor.

Early this morning...

I conveyed to President Nixon

my long-term interest...

and commitment to this project.

It will be one of the

proudest moments...

in Australia's scientific history.

And I've accepted the invitation

of the mayor of Parkes...

to be there on Monday

and witness firsthand...

our vital contribution.

That is an R.S.V.P.

The prime minister

coming to Parkes.

- I'll frame that.

- It's icing on the cake.

- Know why this means so much?

- It helps your political career.

- No, Len.

- Oh, it doesn't, yeah.

The PM with the candidate.

Brown-nosing.

- Licking arse.

- No.

It's a vindication.

Oh, a vindication.

Of my campaign to get that

dish here in the first place.

That was an episode.

You know what people said

when I proposed Parkes?

You were grandstanding, it was a

stunt to big-note yourself.

Who said that?

They said I was a dreamer.

A visionary.

Yeah, that's right.

"Bob Mclntyre, you'll

never pull it off."

And now...

which town is part of

the Apollo 11 mission?

Honeysuckle network, Net Two.

Confirm Parkes is up

and configured.

As Apollo 11's readied

for launch...

NASA is completing fibal checks

on its deep space network:

The vast array of telescopes

and cable links...

including a number

in Australia...

with Apollo 11 on its

historic journey.

The repeaters will send

signals to Sydney.

They strip the TV and

send it to Moree.

Both receivers.

Sorry. Go on.

The rest will go to a demodulator

at Honeysuckle Creek.

Can the telemetry feeds be

sent on separate lines?

Mitch?

Yeah, no problem.

Separate lines.

That's a big book, Al.

- Hold on.

- What is it?

These coordinates have changed.

- You sure?

- This is unacceptable.

Glenn? Come here.

What?

Every coordinate has been changed.

Yeah.

I changed them.

- You what?

- I changed them.

Why?

They were wrong.

- Why were they wrong?

- Don't know.

What about them was wrong?

The figures NASA sent us were

for the Northern Hemisphere.

We're in the Southern Hemisphere.

I can change them, but

you're pointing the wrong...

It might be a good idea

to tell us these things.

I didn't want to worry you.

Cup of tea, Al?

- No, thank you.

- I'll have one!

Thank you, Glenn.

- We must double-check.

- All of NASA's work.

Everyone's work, unless you

have a problem with that.

I don't have a problem with that.

- I got a problem.

- Okay, Mitch.

Let's get on with it.

I'll unstow the Dish.

Hi, Bob!

Bill!

Keith.

Major Mclntyre.

I'm a long time out of uniform.

But you fought a war.

- You'll get your chance.

- I hope so, sir.

- Kid's a cadet.

- Keen.

- Hello, Bob.

- How's it going, Pearl?

Busy as a bee.

The whole town's abuzz.

They'll talk about something

else soon.

I can't say, but we might

be getting a visitor.

The prime minister.

May phoned.

And the American ambassador.

That woman. Can you

keep it under your hat?

- I don't think so.

- Not to worry.

- How are the boys at the Dish?

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