§ Mr. Muddasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will now detail the preparations that have been made in the interests of public safety against the possibility of Skylab debris falling on any part of the United Kingdom; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. WhitelawThe latest forecast is that Skylab will fall to earth between 10 and 14 July, most likely on 12 July.
As the satellite approaches the earth, friction with the air will cause it to break up, probably into some thousands of pieces. Most will be burnt up before they reach the earth's surface, but it is possible that several hundred pieces could survive and be scattered over a wide area. The United States authorities estimate that not more than three pieces should fall in any area of 160 square miles. It will not be possible to predict in what part of the world this might happen until a few hours in advance, if at all.
Skylab's orbits just cross the southernmost part of Cornwall, but pieces might be scattered up to about 50 miles each side of the final orbit. The area in which fragments might conceivably land includes most of Cornwall, southern Devon and Dorset, the Isle of Wight and the coastal areas of Hampshire and Sussex. It is very unlikely, however, that any debris will land in this country and, even if it should, the odds are that it would fall comparatively harmlessly in open country. The risk of personal injury or damage to buildings is therefore extremely remote.
Since it is quite impossible to say where any particular piece of Skylab might land, special advance measures 657W are not practicable. In the unlikely event of an incident occurring, the emergency services—fire, ambulance and police—should be able to handle the situation within their normal resources. Any claim for compensation arising from Skylab's fall would be dealt with in accordance with the appropriate international convention under which the launching State would be responsible for settling claims.