Remember Skylab?

[canetoad]

Sometime this morning (Au time) a decommisioned satellite, launched from the space shuttle in 1991, is due to crash to earth with parts possibly landing in Australia.

In 1979 Skylab, which had orbited the earth as a space workshop for six years, was also brought back to earth but overshot the splashdown point in the Southern Ocean. Some parts of Skylab were later found near Esperance, a remote town in Western Australia.

As a joke, the local rangers issued a $400 fine to the USA for littering. In 2009, thirty years later, the fine was paid by listeners of a US radio station.

Littering fine paid
HANNAH SIEMER
17 Apr, 2009 02:00 AM

ALMOST 30 years after fining NASA for littering the local area with debris from abandoned space station Skylab, the Shire of Esperance has received a $US400 cheque.

American radio station Highway Radio paid the fine on NASA’s behalf, raising the funds on variety breakfast program Barker and Barley in the Morning. Show host Scott Barley said he was inspired to challenge listeners to raise the funds after reading about the debt on the Internet.

“I thought this fact of the unpaid bill was rather funny,” he said.

“I thought it would be great if I challenged my listeners to contribute to the $400 fee to pay off this long, outstanding debt.

http://www.esperanceexpress.com.au/news/local/news/general/littering-fine-paid/1488319.aspx

[WhiteTara]

1. I do, indeed. I had friends who made landing zone

markings. I don't really feel so worried about space junk. I worry about what the next puke move will be.