{"id":647511,"date":"2026-05-03T19:34:18","date_gmt":"2026-05-03T19:34:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/647511\/"},"modified":"2026-05-03T19:34:18","modified_gmt":"2026-05-03T19:34:18","slug":"unlikely-reason-for-huge-structure-thats-appeared-in-outback-town-not-a-lot-out-there","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/647511\/","title":{"rendered":"Unlikely reason for huge structure that’s appeared in outback town: ‘Not a lot out there’"},"content":{"rendered":"

In a quiet stretch of Western Australia<\/a>, far from any city skyline, a giant dish is rising from the red dirt \u2014 one that will help astronauts talk to Earth from the Moon<\/a>.<\/p>\n

It might sound like science fiction,<\/a> but it’s happening just outside the tiny town of Mullewa, home to just 300 people.<\/p>\n

While the project is deeply technical, its implications are broad.<\/p>\n

Without ground stations like this, spacecraft can’t be controlled, astronauts can\u2019t communicate with NASA, and data from space can\u2019t make it back to Earth.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s one of just three stations of its kind in the world.<\/p>\n

With NASA\u2019s Artemis missions pushing further around the Moon, the need for reliable Earth<\/a> communication is becoming more urgent than ever.<\/p>\n

Do you have a story about rural Australia? Contact joe.attanasio@yahooinc.com<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Aerial<\/p>\n

Angela’s world\u2011leading ground station will support NASA\u2019s next missions to the Moon. Source: Shoelace Collective<\/p>\n

(Shoelace Creative)From the red dirt of WA to the Moon<\/p>\n

Angela Teale, Strategic Advisor and Co-Founder of Starsite, is helping lead the effort.<\/p>\n

From small-town Iowa to outback Australia, Angela is now part of a growing scientific community<\/a> in the remote WA town.<\/p>\n

Her team is building a world-leading, 20-metre “parabolic dish” \u2014 what most people would recognise as a satellite antenna \u2014 designed to communicate with spacecraft orbiting and landing on the Moon as part of upcoming missions.<\/p>\n

“Right now, we\u2019re halfway through the build,” Angela told Yahoo News Australia.<\/p>\n

“And that is going to communicate with the spacecraft that will go around the moon and land on the moon. It\u2019ll enable the astronauts to communicate with Earth for the upcoming Artemis missions.<\/p>\n

“It\u2019s about telling a satellite what to do from the ground, and then receiving the data back from the satellite to the ground.”<\/p>\n

But where it\u2019s being built and why are what make the project unique.<\/p>\n

“The characteristics of that area really lend themselves to being great for space,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

The region offers strong power infrastructure, high-capacity fibre connections, and, critically, very low radio frequency interference.<\/p>\n

“Since there’s not a lot out there, that lends well to something that\u2019s listening really hard for signals that are deep in space,” Teale said.<\/p>\n

\"Starsite's<\/p>\n

Angela hopes the landmark project will highlight that opportunities exist for women in rural communities. Source: Shoelace Collective<\/p>\n

(Shoelace Creative)Why regional WA matters for space<\/p>\n

In other words, the same isolation that defines much of regional WA is exactly what makes it valuable to the global space industry.<\/p>\n

Rather than building in a major city, where radio signals are crowded and infrastructure is stretched, projects like this are moving to quieter, less populated areas.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a shift that could have long-term implications for regional Australia.<\/p>\n

During construction alone, the project has already supported around 100 jobs.<\/p>\n

But Teale said the bigger opportunity is what comes next.<\/p>\n

More infrastructure, more investment, and more pathways into science and engineering careers without leaving the region.<\/p>\n

\"Co-founders<\/p>\n

Co-founders of Starsite, Angela Teale and her husband Peter. Source: Supplied<\/p>\n

(Supplied)<\/p>\n

The antenna will form part of a broader global network, operated through international ground station provider KSAT, helping connect missions from multiple countries and companies.<\/p>\n

And unlike traditional government-run systems, this network is entirely commercial.<\/p>\n

It’s a sign of where the space industry is heading.<\/p>\n

“This is the only commercial lunar network in the world right now that\u2019s being established, and it\u2019s ahead of any other one,” Teale said.<\/p>\n

RELATED: <\/p>\n

As more satellites are launched and more missions head to the Moon, demand for reliable communication with Earth is growing fast.<\/p>\n

“If you look at the amount of satellites that are being launched every day, every week, they all need to talk to the earth eventually,” she said.<\/p>\n

For Teale, the long-term goal is bigger than a single antenna.<\/p>\n

“In five years\u2019 time, I hope that this project\u2026 grows to be the first commercially run lunar communications facility in Australia,” she said.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s an ambitious vision.<\/p>\n

But a small town in regional Western Australia could soon play a meaningful role in humanity\u2019s next chapter in space.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s not just about the Moon.<\/p>\n

It shows that world-leading technology, and the jobs and opportunities that come with it, don\u2019t have to be confined to big cities.<\/p>\n

Science and tech opportunities in regional Australia<\/p>\n

Angela Teale is the 2026 Rural Women\u2019s Award state winner for Western Australia and a national finalist, recognised for her work in bringing advanced space infrastructure to regional Australia while creating new pathways for people outside major cities to enter science and technology fields.<\/p>\n

The program highlights women who are driving innovation and leadership in rural and regional communities, particularly where their work has a broader social and economic impact beyond their immediate industry.<\/p>\n

As the WA winner, Teale receives a $15,000 Westpac grant and professional development funding to further expand STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) engagement and satellite communications capability in rural communities.<\/p>\n

She will go on to represent WA at the national level later in the year in Canberra, where the program’s broader goal is to elevate rural innovation on a national stage.<\/p>\n

Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@yahoonews.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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