Page 10-Thursday, July 12, 1979-The Michigan Daily
It's a
(Continued from Page i
PRESIDENT Carter sent a message
tv Australian Prime Minister Malcolm
Fraser saying he was relieved to learn
no injuries resulted and added: "I have
instructed the Department of State to
be in touch with your government im-
mediately and to offer any assistance
you may need."
Capt. Bill Anderson, a pilot for a local
airline -in western Australia saw
Skylab's fall from his cockpit as he was
flying toward Perth.
Anderson said that as the debris
descended "it changed from a blue to
an almost orangey-red and you would
SiPP hen im,, ostarting t ,o e .As
bird, it's
the Atlantic before breaking apart over
the Indian Ocean.
The final leg of its journey was over
some of the least inhabited stretches of
Earth, which pleased government of-
ficials who were prepared to pay
damages anywhere in the world.
AS SKYLAB knifed through the at-
mosphere, it was half past midnight in
Australia. Hundreds of townspeople in
the southwest corner of the country
described a vivid fireworks display
complete with a sound like thunder or a
sonic boom. They flooded newspaper,
radio, and television stations with calls.
Although Skylab barely flew over the
United States on its final pass, NASA
was receiving reports from all parts of
the country that pieces of the space
station had been found.
From Kalgoorlie, pegged by NORAD
as the point where the largest piece of
Skylab lost its forward momentum,
came reports of 20 to 50 pieces being
sighted. Other reports came from Per-
th, Albany, and Esperance, all coastal
cities.
OFFICIALLY, NORAD put the
"decay point" at 31 degrees, eight
minutes south, and 124 degrees, four
minutes east.
A maneuver before dawn yesterday
sent the abandoned space laboratory
into a tumbling orbit that reduced at-
mospheric drag and averted any
change Skylab would crash over North
America.
The last signal from Skylab was
received at Ascension Island, at 12:11
p.m. EDT.
HOW FAR it shed debris that sur-
vived the 2,400-degree heat of re-entry
into the atmosphere was not im-
mediately known.
But this was known: Skylab died hard
a plane .. .
plaeit's Skylab
and slow. It apparently remained intact laboratory launched May 14, 1973, from
for the final proud sweep across the Cape Canaveral, Fla., to enhance
North American continent. mankind's knowledge of his own planet.
When the tracking station at Ber- Skylab gave three crews of astronauts
muda picked up its signals, Skylab still an unparalleled chance to observe both
had its windmill-like solar panels, the heaven and Earth. The last crew stayed
most fragile part of its exterior and the aboard for 84 days until the station was
first piece to break away during re- permanently abandoned on Fed.8, 1974.
entry. At that point the laboratory was SInce then, Skylab had been a ghost
72 miles above the sea, rapidly nearing ship, circling the globe 16 times a day,
the end of itsspace life. with 90 per cent of the world's
BY THE TIME THE Ascension population below. It traveled nearly a
Island tracking station picked up billion miles.
Skylab, telemetry was intermittent, in- The last orbit, on the 2,249th day, was
dicating its systems were number 34,981.
deteriorating. The space agency said NASA said it always expected Skylab
some or all of the solar panels had been to crash back to Earth some day, har-
ripped off. mlessly like thousands of other pieces
Thus ended the life of the space of manmade or natural space junk.
SKYLAB BEGINS to burn after re-entry, as indicated by this drawing. The
long-awaited dive came shortly after noon yesterday, and fell into the Indian
and Atlantic Oceans.
rieces .oikyian
the breakup continued, it finished up in-
to five very bright orange balls in the
front and the remainder of the debris
behind giving off sparks."
HE SAID IT had "a very long Sail,
perhaps 100 miles long."
Skylab, a drifting hulk since the last
astronaut lived in it in 1974, behaved in
its last moments almost exactly as
scientists said it would and destructed
nearly according to plan. It made an
are across the North American con-
tinent, then swept southeastward over
HASTY ACTION COULD ADD TO INF LA TION:
Budget experts forsee deeper recession
WASHINGTON (AP)1-Congressional budget
experts said yesterday the economy is sliding into a issued last January when it projected a milder Congress traditionally has enacted tax cuts and
deeper recession than previously believed, but warned recession in 1979 and stronger recovery in 1980. public jobs programs when unemployment rises. The
that hasty action to reverse the trend could worsen the But Rivlin stressed in testimony before the House tax cuts are usually designed to spur consumer spen-
nation's soaring inflation rate. Budget Committee that the CBO"is not forecasting a ding by putting more money in the hands of the
Alice Rivlin, director of the Congressional Budget major recession." American people.
Office (CBO), said it might be wise simply to maintain SHE SUGGESTED that Congress prepare a "con- HOWEVER, REP. Robert Giaimo, Budget Commit-
current government policies and "ride out" the tingency plan for fiscal stimulus" in case unem- tee chairman, said there appeared to be little support
economic downturn and the expected jump in unem- ployment rises to unacceptable levels. But she for "a massive increase in traditional stimulus pro-
cautioned members against taking rash action in face grams ..
pomn.of the economic slump. "Cacsi«a rsedn oiy fudrae
THECBO, WHICH advises Congress on economic "The possibility could be to simply ride it out if the Chances in tax or spending policy, if undertaken
matters, blamed the deteriorating business outlook on recession is mild,"Rivlin said, adding that she did "not theforeconomy" ne Cdedonnecicut Democrat said.
skyrocketing prices for fuel and food and sharpiin think it unwise" to continue current congressional "Nothing in my judgment would be worse than hurried
creases in mortgage rates t ave ampene e policy, which is aimed at balancing the federal budget and possibly unnecessary policy decisions which would
The office's mid-year report is gloomier than one it by fiscal 1981. weaken the dollar and aggravate inflation."
Airline was
WINDSOR, Ontario (UPI) - Tran-
sport Canada said yesterday it was
warned of potential hazardous flying
conditions in the Windsor-Detroit area
more than a month before Tuesday's
collision between two light planes over
Windsor.
The warning came from Air Canada,
which told the ministry in May air traf-
fice control over the densely populated
region was inadequate and some U.S.
pilots were flying into Canadian air
space without telling Canadianaof-
ficials.
A SINGLE-ENGINE Cessna taking
off from the Windsor airport Tuesday
with two local men aboard hit a twin-
engine Cessna on a landing approach to
Detroit City Airport with three Grand
'. RapidsMichmeina.eard"
warned of flight dangers
All five men were killed in the fiery at both facilities are handled by radar
crash, at nearby Detroit Metropolitan Airport.
Transport Canada spokesman Dean
Smith said Air Canada complained TWO TRANSPORT Canada in-
about air traffic control problems in the vestigators began piecing together the
Windsor area in a letter to the ministry. remains of the two aircraft yesterday in
an attempt to determine the cause of
SMITH SAID there had been several the crash.
instances of American pilots ap-
proaching Detroit airports without U indsor Mayor Bert Weeks sent a let-
checking in with Windsor control when ter to federal Transportation Minister
passing through Windsor's traffice-con- Don Mazankowski, urging the in-
trol zone.-vestigation be given top priority.
If American pilots fail to contact the
Windsor tower, "there is no reason that "As I understand it, the crash was
Windsor would know they were there almost inevitable, considering the state
unless it was a visual contact," Smith of communications between the three
said. airports," said Weeks. "It was only a
Neither Windsor nor Detroit City Air- miracle that nearby ..,..areas were not
port is equipped with radar. Landings deluged by falling debris.:" ,