Message posted by CoyoteUgly on June 23, 2007 at 23:04:39 PST:
Hey Thud et al Yep still here. I've Been busier than a one-armed wallpaper hangar recently so I really only have time to drop in occasionally to lurk and catch up on the foum. Don't get too excited about Woomera from a 'secret base' point of view. It was originally built as a base to support British space and nuclear test programs in the 1950s, but apart from the runway and a few sheds, there are few permanent residents and facilities at Woomera today. Most stuff is trucked or flown in for specific tests, and then taken home again afterwards. The most recent large scale tests held there were by BAE with their various UAV projects, while the RAAF's AOSG (ARDU) occasionally deploys there for specific tests where they need the airspace or to drop stuff without restrictions. The Hypersonic research stuff is quite interesting, with a Queensland university leading the field. From what I understand they launch a small vehicle into space on top of a rocket, and then fire up its scramjet engine as it re-enters the earth's atmosphere. Obviously it is promising enough for DARPA and its Australian counterpart, the DSTO, to get on board. Hope you're all well. Cheers Magoo (aka CoyoteUgly)
In Reply to: Magoo.... posted by Thud on June 21, 2007 at 8:25:00 PST:
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