Skylab completists, clear some shelf space for 26 DVDs
Decades of archive hunting recover downlinks, silent reels, and footage once thought lost
The team behind the Searching for Skylab documentary is releasing a vast collection of archival footage from NASA's first space station. Spanning three volumes and 26 DVDs, this companion archive focuses on the raw, raw footage rather than an expanded cut of the documentary itself. The collection includes everything from the mission's prelaunch preparations to the crews' efforts to make Skylab habitable after launch.
It even features footage of the crews testing equipment that would later be used during Shuttle missions. Skylab, launched in 1973, was NASA's first space station, and three crews visited it before it re-entered in 1979. The collection is aimed at space enthusiasts seeking raw, unfiltered footage rather than an accessible introduction to the mission.
The material was gathered through intense searches and some innovative methods, such as using a mobile phone to record audio from a downlink. The collection is expensive, with each physical DVD volume costing £89.99 plus postage. While the video quality reflects the era, the collection is still a labor of love for the team behind it.
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- Skylab completists, clear some shelf space for 26 DVDs theregister.com
