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Skylab's impending demise in 1979 was an international media event, [150] with T-shirts and hats with bullseyes [9] and "Skylab Repellent" with a money-back guarantee, [151] wagering on the time and place of re-entry, and nightly news reports.
Comparison of landing ellipses of NASA Mars landers in 1997, 2008, 2012, and 2021, respectively. Shaded ellipses of Skylab's reentry on 1979-07-11. Included for purposes of comparison.
The TRS was ordered in October 1977 to be ready for use in late 1979. The TRS had two major possible uses, to either re-boost or de-orbit Skylab. The decision whether to use TRS was planned to be made in 1979. [2] Although TRS was initiated in 1977, it made use of developments in tele-operation going back to the 1960s.
Skylab [3] USA: 69,000 kg (152,000 lb) 11 July 1979: 6 years: Partially Controlled: 14 May 1973 Salyut 7/Cosmos 1686: USSR: 40,000 kg (88,000 lb) 7 February 1991: 8 years: Uncontrolled: 13 May 1982 S-II Stage / Skylab: USA 36,200 kg (79,700 lb) 11 January 1975 18 Months Uncontrolled 14 May 1973 STS external tank (Standard Tank) USA
1979: portions of Skylab came down over Australia, and several pieces landed in the area around the Shire of Esperance, which fined NASA $400 for littering. [ 4 ] 1987: a 7-foot strip of metal from the Soviet Kosmos 1890 rocket landed between two homes in Lakeport , California , causing no damage.
On July 11, 1979, the US Skylab space station (77,100 kilograms [170,000 lb]) reentered and spread debris across the Australian Outback. [76] The reentry was a major media event largely due to the Cosmos 954 incident, but not viewed as much as a potential disaster since it did not carry toxic nuclear or hydrazine fuel.
Heavy solar activity was a factor in causing the earlier-than-expected atmospheric reentry of Skylab in 1979. [9] Data from solar cycle 20 was used to build the K-1974 solar proton fluence model, used for planning space missions during solar cycle 21. [10]
On August 15, 1978, Smith accepted a one-year assignment as deputy associate administrator for Space Transportation Systems at NASA Headquarters, Washington, D.C. He served as director of the Skylab Task Force appointed by the NASA administrator to represent NASA preceding and following the reentry of Skylab.