Fergie's Tech Blog

10 July 1979: The End of Skylab

Following the last mission, Skylab was left in a parking orbit expected to last at least 8 years. The Space Shuttle was planned to dock with and elevate Skylab to a higher safe altitude in 1979; however, the shuttles were not able to launch until 1981. A planned unmanned satellite called the Teleoperator was to be launched to save Skylab, but funding never materialized. Skylab was considered junk by many. It was falling apart, according to the visiting astronauts, and had suffered great damage during launch when the solar panel tore off with the solar shield. The station needed new gyroscopes, fuels, equipment, life support systems, plumbing, and much more.

Increased solar activity, heating the outer layers of the earth's atmosphere and thereby increasing drag on Skylab, led to an early reentry at approximately 16:37 UTC July 11, 1979. Earth reentry footprint was a narrow band (approx. 4° wide) beginning at about 48° S 87° E and ending at about 12° S 144° E, an area covering portions of the Indian Ocean and Western Australia. Debris was found between Esperance, Western Australia, and Rawlinna, Western Australia, 31–34°S, 122–126°E. As this area was sparsely populated there were no human casualties but three cows were reportedly killed by debris. Because the debris landed on Australian soil, the Australian government fined the United States $400 for littering.

posted by Fergie @ 7/10/2006 10:01:00 PM