Jun 1 1979
From The Space Library
Space News for this day. (1MB PDF)
NASA announced plans to shift Skylab into a lower-drag attitude that could extend its life up to 12 hours, during which the reentry area might shift by thousands of miles. Reentry was predicted between June 27 and July 21; the "footprint" of resulting debris would be about 160 kilometers wide and 6,400 kilometers long. About 24 hours before reentry, it might be possible to predict the most likely area where debris might reach the surface, but with a wide margin of error. "Drag modulation" would offer the possibility of shifting Skylab's orbit to pass over less populated areas, reducing the chance of damage or injury. (NASA Release 79-80; JSC Release 79-37)
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