Case file · Secret facility (alleged)
Nurrungar joint defence facility
A US–Australian satellite ground station built from 1969 near Woomera, South Australia, that received early-warning data from Defense Support Program satellites until its closure in 1999.
1969 CE · -31.32, 136.78 · status: official
The account
Like Pine Gap, Nurrungar was long shrouded in secrecy and drew peace-camp protests in the 1980s, along with local stories of strange lights in the restricted zone. Its mission (detecting missile launches by infrared) was officially acknowledged only gradually.
The sceptical view
Its secrecy explains the rumours; its function is now well documented.