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Author
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Topic: Skylab space-flown artifacts and displays
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denali414
Member Posts: 846
From: Raleigh, NC
Registered: Aug 2017
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posted 03-10-2019 03:35 PM
   
I thought a thread on all of the space-flown Skylab orbital workshop items would be a good idea. I bet many have some rare and not seen often items in their collection. I'll start with a few:This is a fragment of Skylab that was recovered in Australia and verified by NASA July 11, 1979. Silver edition:  Gold edition:  Dome edition:  |
Robert Pearlman
Editor Posts: 50727
From: Houston, TX
Registered: Nov 1999
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posted 03-10-2019 04:12 PM
quote:
Originally posted by denali414:
This is a fragment of Skylab...
To be more specific, these fragments are fiberglas insulation from one of Skylab's six oxygen tanks. The acrylics were produced by Delta Vee, Inc., which recruited (and compensated) Pete Conrad for help in marketing the mementos. (July 11, 1979 is the date Skylab fell back to Earth, not the date of certification.) |
Rick Mulheirn
Member Posts: 4525
From: England
Registered: Feb 2001
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posted 03-10-2019 04:52 PM
When I saw the coverage of the break up of Skylab over Australia on BBC news I took a punt and wrote a letter to "the Mayor of Esperance Shire, Esperance, Australia." In the letter I explained my passion for the space program and asked if he (or she) could see their way to sending some kind of debris sample... no matter how small.Imagine my surprise when 2 months later a rather thin, flimsy envelope with zero packaging landed on my doorstep accompanied by a typed letter of authenticity and a hand written note both from PK Arlidge, Co-ordinator of Esperance State Emergency services. I believe this piece of structural beam measuring approximately 4 inches by 2 inches by 1 was cut from a much larger item that was eventually gifted to the National Geographic Society in Washington D.C.  
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SkyMan1958
Member Posts: 1299
From: CA.
Registered: Jan 2011
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posted 03-10-2019 07:45 PM
I've got one of what you called, the "Dome Edition." One thing that intrigued me was that on the base of the lucite, there is a sticker applied that says: A Magnificent Possession
With Compliments
Station KFIV From what I can remember, there was a newspaper in the USA (SF Examiner?) that was offering 10K to the first person who got a chunk of Skylab to the newspaper office within 72 hours of reentry. Somewhere along the way there was a radio station who helped an Australian with a chunk of the Skylab to make the trip, My best guess is that this station KFIV was the station that helped. |
Mike Dixon
Member Posts: 1625
From: Kew, Victoria, Australia
Registered: May 2003
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posted 03-10-2019 08:49 PM
Seems like it was yesterday. Esperance was a very very small town in the late 70s. |
thisismills
Member Posts: 493
From: Michigan
Registered: Mar 2012
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posted 03-10-2019 08:50 PM
A few more displays, a sales brochure for the pyramid type, and the printed Conrad letter of authenticity card that accompanies. 
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thisismills
Member Posts: 493
From: Michigan
Registered: Mar 2012
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posted 03-10-2019 09:10 PM
There is also a slightly different version of the pyramid type, presented by McDonnell Douglas. 
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randy
Member Posts: 2622
From: West Jordan, Utah USA
Registered: Dec 1999
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posted 03-10-2019 10:36 PM
I also have a Skylab display that consists of a poster that is a picture of Skylab that says "Americas first manned space station" and has a piece of oxygen tank insulation with the LOA signed by Pete Conrad and the other LOA. |
Ben
Member Posts: 1922
From: United States
Registered: May 2000
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posted 03-10-2019 11:11 PM
Does anyone know how many pyramids or other lucites were made? And who made the dome style? There is also a column type with a slanted facet, although I've rarely seen it for sale. I am also curious if the honeycomb displays above are unique, I don't think I have come across one for sale as long as I can recall. I visited Esperance in 2012, and photographed the bulk of the remains which are still on display in a small museum there. |
GACspaceguy
Member Posts: 2967
From: Guyton, GA
Registered: Jan 2006
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posted 03-11-2019 06:07 AM
We have a few flown items in the Kollection. The typical Lucite Pyramids (Gold and Silver) and the domes. Also included is a small fold out with a piece of the tank as well as a large poster with a tank section. 
A somewhat unique item is an art piece by Correia in which we have two of, number 328 and 357 of 1000. It depicts a metal segment of recovered Skylab encapsulated in a glass globe floating over a blue curve which represents the Earth.  
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Rick Mulheirn
Member Posts: 4525
From: England
Registered: Feb 2001
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posted 03-11-2019 06:11 AM
Esperance has some very impressive pieces. Thank you Ben for sharing your photos. |
denali414
Member Posts: 846
From: Raleigh, NC
Registered: Aug 2017
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posted 03-11-2019 08:05 AM
Rick, that is an awesome story! Thank you for sharing. Here are some flown Skylab medallions and melted metal.Robbins medallion from Skylab 1:  Robbins medallion from Skylab 2 (from recent Heritage auction):  Skylab, Kara international, 99% silver with a piece of Skylab metal in middle:  NASA Manned Flight Awareness medallion made with a piece of a 16mm film canister:  |
denali414
Member Posts: 846
From: Raleigh, NC
Registered: Aug 2017
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posted 03-11-2019 08:25 AM
quote:
Originally posted by Ben:
Does anyone know how many pyramids or other lucites were made?
I have not seen any lucite that is numbered or mentions how many were made. The pyramid lucites made by "Out of This World." Could not find who made the domes — mine on the bottom says "a magnificent possession with compliments station WLLL." |
Ben
Member Posts: 1922
From: United States
Registered: May 2000
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posted 03-11-2019 09:52 AM
Interesting as well that there are 1000 of those spheres but I don't recall ever seeing one for sale. I am surprised. |
GACspaceguy
Member Posts: 2967
From: Guyton, GA
Registered: Jan 2006
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posted 03-11-2019 10:17 AM
I think you have to know what it is if there is not a good description. They have sold at auctions such as Heritage. There actually was one for sale on cS in 2014. |
denali414
Member Posts: 846
From: Raleigh, NC
Registered: Aug 2017
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posted 03-11-2019 04:35 PM
Skylab 3 Robbins medallion: Skylab 4 heat shield lucite:  
A three piece lucite, certified by PK Arlidge, the coordinator of Esperance State Emergency Services:  |
denali414
Member Posts: 846
From: Raleigh, NC
Registered: Aug 2017
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posted 03-12-2019 07:23 AM
A black domed piece: 
And a clear piece:  |
denali414
Member Posts: 846
From: Raleigh, NC
Registered: Aug 2017
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posted 03-15-2019 07:52 AM
Skylab III ablative plug lucite: Skylab II flown part of Jack Lousma's metal shoe cleats:  |
denali414
Member Posts: 846
From: Raleigh, NC
Registered: Aug 2017
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posted 03-19-2019 08:20 AM
Genuine Skylab fragment card: |
denali414
Member Posts: 846
From: Raleigh, NC
Registered: Aug 2017
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posted 03-22-2019 03:32 PM
Skylab sunshield remnant. Authentic mylar material used on Skylab: |
Cagedfalcon
Member Posts: 84
From:
Registered: Jul 2019
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posted 11-19-2019 08:34 PM
Recently aquired Skylab 2 lucite containing what I believe to be a heat shield plug with a #9 engraved on bottom. |
denali414
Member Posts: 846
From: Raleigh, NC
Registered: Aug 2017
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posted 01-07-2020 12:07 PM
Nice find — those Skylab plugs real hard to find. Congrats! |
Ken Havekotte
Member Posts: 3637
From: Merritt Island, Florida, Brevard
Registered: Mar 2001
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posted 01-08-2020 09:42 AM
Below is an assembly of flown Skylab memorabilia as I have always been an avid Skylab enthusiast and collector since my high school years, but for this montage display, I've only included smaller artifacts. The red-silver fabric, while not flown, is "off the bolt" from the original or same-type parasol canopy material that had been used on the Skylab OWS while in orbit. Of course, not all of the depicted flown items are from the actual OWS itself, but I've tried to include several OWS objects in addition to a few other flown Skylab astronaut crew and NASA mementos and souvenirs.  |
Jeff
Member Posts: 590
From: Fayetteville, NC, USA
Registered: May 2009
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posted 01-08-2020 02:48 PM
Nice collection Ken, can I ask you what the number is on the ablative plug? |
Ken Havekotte
Member Posts: 3637
From: Merritt Island, Florida, Brevard
Registered: Mar 2001
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posted 01-08-2020 03:32 PM
It's either 5 or 56 etched-in at the bottom of the SL-4 ablative plug artifact inside the acrylic. I just had either 2-3 emails about it and I think one was from yourself, if so Jeff, I'll email over some image scans of it close up for you as time permits. |
denali414
Member Posts: 846
From: Raleigh, NC
Registered: Aug 2017
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posted 05-13-2020 07:11 AM
quote:
Originally posted by GACspaceguy:
A somewhat unique item is an art piece by Correia...
Finally acquired one of these this past week! Surprisingly not many come to market a real nice piece. |
Timmchapman
New Member Posts: 2
From: Apache Junction, AZ, USA
Registered: Sep 2014
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posted 05-13-2020 08:52 PM
I have a ultraviolet spectroheliograph camera's film magazine and case, along with the ocean recovery transport case for when it returned to Earth.The film magazine was used aboard Skylab for experiment S-082 B.  
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denali414
Member Posts: 846
From: Raleigh, NC
Registered: Aug 2017
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posted 07-24-2021 11:22 AM
Picked up an interesting piece I had not seen before, a Skylab Photovoltaic Cell, with a curator and number (02836). If anyone has any information on this, would love to hear it! 
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Robert Pearlman
Editor Posts: 50727
From: Houston, TX
Registered: Nov 1999
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posted 07-24-2021 12:24 PM
Irene Willhite was the curator at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center in Alabama. The museum offered these solar cells made for, but never used on Skylab as part of a fundraising effort to restore the Skylab 1G trainer (now completed and on display in the Davidson Center for Space Exploration). |
denali414
Member Posts: 846
From: Raleigh, NC
Registered: Aug 2017
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posted 07-24-2021 12:32 PM
Thanks Robert! Figured you may know, much appreciated. |
denali414
Member Posts: 846
From: Raleigh, NC
Registered: Aug 2017
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posted 08-17-2021 03:03 PM
Just acquired this piece of Skylab. First time had seen it with original box, a nice extra bonus. |
Ianhetho
Member Posts: 304
From: Bogangar NSW Australia
Registered: May 2018
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posted 07-14-2023 04:42 AM
This looks like a cheap, locally made souvenir. I’m not sure about its authenticity. Has anybody seen one of these before or have any input on the item? |
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