Echoes Among the Stars: The Original Website
Echoes Among the Stars — Chapter Nine
Skylab: A Place in Space
“Revived from the ground in 1978, Skylab’s apparently imminent fall from orbit caused a maelstrom of criticism to descend on the space agency. Fears that pieces of the returning lab would survive reentry and rain flaming wreckage down on heavily populated areas were exacerbated by the fact that the plummet watch continued well into 1979.” -- page 126
• Topics Covered in This Chapter
• Topics for Discussion
• Historical Context
• Possible Writing Assignments
Topics Covered in This Chapter
• Origins and Goals of America’s First Space Station
• Skylab1: Hardware Problems
• Skylab 2: The First Crew
• Skylab 3: A Long Day’s Work
• Skylab 4: Gains in Space Science
• Skylab Falls to Earth
Topics for Discussion
The merits of establishing a continual presence in space, and what such a presence might mean to future generations, is a good topic that is naturally raised by the Skylab story.
Historical Context
Vice President Agnew resigns
Nixon nomination of Ford for Vice President
President Nixon resigns
Possible Writing Assignments
College
The Skylab project helped to focus the U.S. space program on the potential scientific benefits of having human beings live in space for extended periods of time. In a detailed essay based on some research about space science, outline a single experiment conducted on any U.S. space mission during the Mercury, Gemini, Apollo, Skylab, ASTP, or Space Shuttle projects, and explain the experiment’s significance.
High School
When the Skylab space station fell from orbit, many people were upset and worried that pieces of it could fall in populated areas, causing injuries or property damage, even though NASA said it wouldn’t (and it didn’t). Write an essay that expresses your opinion about whether or not government agencies are generally trustworthy and honest when they communicate with the American public.
K-8
Imagine that you could look up into the night sky and see a space station among the stars. If you could talk to the people in that station, what would you say? What would they say?
The merits of establishing a continual presence in space, and what such a presence might mean to future generations, is a good topic that is naturally raised by the Skylab story.
Historical Context
Vice President Agnew resigns
Nixon nomination of Ford for Vice President
President Nixon resigns
Possible Writing Assignments
College
The Skylab project helped to focus the U.S. space program on the potential scientific benefits of having human beings live in space for extended periods of time. In a detailed essay based on some research about space science, outline a single experiment conducted on any U.S. space mission during the Mercury, Gemini, Apollo, Skylab, ASTP, or Space Shuttle projects, and explain the experiment’s significance.
High School
When the Skylab space station fell from orbit, many people were upset and worried that pieces of it could fall in populated areas, causing injuries or property damage, even though NASA said it wouldn’t (and it didn’t). Write an essay that expresses your opinion about whether or not government agencies are generally trustworthy and honest when they communicate with the American public.
K-8
Imagine that you could look up into the night sky and see a space station among the stars. If you could talk to the people in that station, what would you say? What would they say?
