Canberra's NASA space centre reopens to visitors

Nestled in Tidbinbilla, the complex employs 85 people, including engineers, technicians and spacecraft communications people.

As a functioning facility, the site's visitor centre provides an immediate connection to space that the public can't find elsewhere, spokesperson Glen Nagle said.

"There's so much happening on the planet Mars right now, we have 13 missions there, as we speak, multiple missions."

"Some on the surface, driving around and doing exploration and sending back their pictures live every day, which everybody can see on the internet, but those pictures come through here," he said.

"I think people love just to be able to be at a place where that connection is actually happening. To find out the very latest news, rather than waiting for somebody to put it on the TV."

Canberra's Deep Space Communication Complex operates 24/7, maintaining contact with dozens of robotic spacecraft, as part of the NASA network.

Over the course of the pandemic, the complex was poised to take over from sister stations in Spain or the USA, in the case that they were affected by outbreaks.

While educational programs, which allow school groups to attend the visitor centre, have proceeded, visitation to the site was cut off as a precaution.

The last time it opened to the public was a year ago, over the 2021 Easter long weekend.

This Easter long weekend will be a test run for the centre's reopening, Mr Nagle said, with visitation traditionally high over holiday periods.

"We want to get back to full-time reopening ... we're then probably going to open just weekends, for a little while," he said.

"And then we hope by the second half of the year, we'll be operating six days a week, and people can come out and see us at any time."

In a normal year, the centre would see 70,000 visitors. Mr Nagle estimated that thousands would attend over the long weekend.

"We're just looking forward to everybody turning up, we're going to be doing special talks throughout the weekend as well," he said

"And updates on the latest images coming in from the surface of Mars, lots of great stuff to show and share with everybody."

He said strong interest has already been registered.

"This long weekend was a good time to open the doors again, to really satisfy all the calls and emails we've been getting for the last six, seven months saying: 'When are you opening again?'"

"Because we have a lot of people who really love space and space exploration, pretty much everybody has an interest in in some way."

The visitor centre and giftshop are open from 10am to 3pm each day of the weekend, though the café will remain closed.

The centre hosts exhibits that offer visitors a chance to look at the history and future of space exploration.

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