Bessemer Academy - Reflections Yearbook (Bessemer, AL)

Page 6 text:

In July. 1979. SKYLAB crashed to the earth, bringing down tons of space debris, but leaving behind both added knowledge and bright new hopes for an exciting future. This future may be realized in the last frontier of deep space, and SKYLAB will deserve much credit for the foundation it provided. It will have led us into A NEW AGEI Like hoJdinf Scientists credit luck in lab fall the hand of c dying friend' BY PAT HOLTZ Sews correspondent HLXTSVJLLE — It's like holding the hand of a dying friend. said a scientist helping guide Skylab into its final orbits Although confident it could guide Skylab into an ocean area, there was no rejoicing today at the Marshall Space Flight Center. Marshall scientists have lived with Skylab instruments since they awakened it in February 1978 Their multi biliion dollar baby, so carefully conceived in Huntsville, was headed for destruction and Skylab By Bob Dunnavant I'osi -Herald Cormpcvfc ' i kWbV'weC- x HUNTSVILLE - Scientists at the MarshaH Space Flight Center shed ’ o a‘heir reluctance to believe in j r bore vesterday as the Skylab j V VJt AO In 11 ,n Worth good luck space ste- ion fell to Earth j- -c A pleee of pure luck got a share of .vi0, 'to?' he credit from engineers conlro the final hours of the doomed s ..........“ controlling space s ? station as Skylab dropped to Earth in what was called the best of all possi-V , Wc nrhns. spP r0 -t. There was a one in 1.000 chance c • G v a •! Skylab would come down exactly '-‘YcV a Vo, i u that track, at that lime, when wc would have had the least chance of k- a 4 doing any damage, and that’s what 0 ’ C,0e happened.” said Dr. Herman Thoma-• son. manager of the Systems Integra-'cX-v t tion Laboratory at the Marshall Space Flight Center. .o’ v