Skylab

Pop culture for this day in 1979 said it all: Moonraker was the #1 film in the country and “Rock the Boat” held the top spot on the Billboard chart. The boat was certainly about to be rocked, and – yes – it came from the sky. On July 11, 1979 Skylab crashed to the earth.

If you are of a certain age, you probably remember the lead-up to it. We knew it was coming, we had an idea when it might be, but we just didn’t know where. As it turns out, the where was a rural part of Australia, southeast of Perth.

Launched on May 14, 1973, Skylab was a pretty impressive step for space exploration. The space station included a solar observatory and workshops. It hosted three manned missions between May 25, 1973 and February 8, 1974, when the crew from the last mission returned to earth. The final crew left supplies aboard Skylab and the hatch unlocked, because it was hoped that the first space shuttle would be ready by 1979 to reuse the station. It never happened, and between the age of the lab and a damaged gyroscope, Skylab orbited unused for years.

We’re no astronauts, but we do take to the air every week. While it’s every bit as exciting as the adventures of Skylab, it’s a whole lot safer … and no crashes into the wilds of Australia. Find us on NEPA’s ESPN radio from 9-10 on Saturday mornings (96.1& 100.1 FM or 630 & 1240 AM). And we cordially invite you to call in and tell us what you’d like to sell: 1-888-303-0630.