Look Out Below: The Skylab Crash of '79!\n\nOn July 11, 1979, the world was watching the sky with a mix of awe and panic as Skylab, America's first space station, prepared for an uncontrolled reentry. While NASA aimed for the Indian Ocean, parts of the 77-ton station ended up raining down on the Shire of Esperance in Western Australia.\n\n### The Galactic Littering Ticket\nIn a move of legendary Australian wit, the Esperance Shire Council issued NASA a $400 fine for littering. They even sent the official ticket to NASA HQ! NASA, perhaps busy with other cosmic matters, treated it as a joke and left the bill unpaid for three decades.\n\n### The Space Race to the Bank\nWhile the government ignored the fine, 17-year-old local Stan Thornton was busy making bank. He collected a few charred pieces of Skylab from his property and hopped on a plane to San Francisco, winning a $10,000 prize from the San Francisco Examiner for being the first to deliver wreckage to their office within 72 hours of the crash.\n\n### Debt Settled\nIt took until 2009—the 30th anniversary—for the fine to be finally settled. California radio host Scott Barley raised the $400 from his morning show listeners and traveled to Esperance to pay the "out-of-this-world" debt on NASA's behalf. The town celebrated by updating their welcome sign with a sticker that proudly reads: "Fine Paid in Full."\n\nSo, the next time you accidentally drop a gum wrapper, just be glad you didn't drop a multi-million dollar space station on a sheep farm!