Woomera, town in South Australia. Woomera lies inland on the Stuart Highway, about 150 km (93 mi) north-west of Port Augusta. It was founded in 1947 as a military launching site for experimental rockets in association with the United Kingdom, Europe, and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), and was totally closed to the public until 1982. Woomera lies at the edge of the testing range known as the Woomera Prohibited Area, which is 500 km (310 mi) long. This covers 127,000 sq km (49,000 sq mi) to which access is severely restricted. It was a weapon and atomic bomb testing site between 1953 and 1963; the contamination caused by the tests is one reason why it remains closed. The range now provides commercial facilities such as launch sites, rocket preparation, and telemetry and tracking for national space agencies (including that of Japan) and private companies. The town itself is also a service town for the Nurrungar deep-space tracking station. Woomera has a heritage centre with aviation and space exhibits that include Skylark and Black Arrow rockets. In the vicinity are mineral deposits, including copper, opals, silver, gold, and uranium. A woomera is an Aboriginal stick devised to throw spears more effectively—an allusion to its function as a rocket-launching base. Population (1991) 1,600.Microsoft® Encarta® Online Encyclopedia 2001
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