The Space Station That Fell on Esperance
When America's first space station fell back to Earth, pieces landed around a small Australian town, which fined NASA for littering.
What was reported
Skylab, the first American space station, had been empty since 1974, and its orbit was slowly sinking. Around the world, newspapers ran stories about where it might fall. On the night of 11 July 1979 it broke up over the Indian Ocean and Western Australia, and people saw it as a spectacular trail of fireballs with sonic booms.
Fragments landed around Esperance and Balladonia, including oxygen tanks and pieces of insulation. People collected them as souvenirs.
Explanations offered
NASA had tried to steer its fall into the ocean, but it came down further east than planned. No one was hurt. The Shire of Esperance issued NASA a $400 fine for littering, which went unpaid until a radio host raised the money in 2009.
- When
- 11 July 1979
- Where
- Esperance, Western Australia
- Witnesses
- People across southern Western Australia
- Status
- Explained
Famous cases are real, widely reported events. Each file sets out what witnesses said and the explanations that have been offered, without taking a side.
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