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An original 8x10" vintage photo (NOT a modern reprint) from a very large collection of rare original NASA photographs that originated from the estate of an engineer who worked at NASA through the Apollo and Space Shuttle programs. We acquired through a major sale house.
Photo Overview
This stunning orbital photograph was captured during NASA\'s Skylab 3 mission (also known as SL-3, the second crewed Skylab mission, launched July 28, 1973) and shows the Peloponnese peninsula of Greece from space. The image is a striking infrared/false-color rendering that reveals the dramatic geography of southern Greece, including the Gulf of Corinth, the surrounding Ionian Sea, and the Mirtoan (Mirtoan/Aegean) Sea. The rugged, deeply indented coastline of the Peloponnese dominates the right side of the frame, while scattered islands and cloud formations shimmer across the darker sea areas. Athens and the Attic peninsula are visible toward the upper right of the image.
This is NASA official photograph SL3-, produced by the Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas. The image features the characteristic fiducial cross-hair reference marks used in scientific photography, and the warm reddish-brown tonal quality is characteristic of the Earth Resources Experiment Package (EREP) multispectral photography conducted aboard Skylab. It is a breathtaking reminder that ancient civilizations and modern geography look equally dramatic from orbit.
Historical Notes
Skylab 3 (SL-3) launched July 28, 1973, and was crewed by Alan Bean (Commander), Jack Lousma (Pilot), and Owen Garriott (Science Pilot). The mission lasted 59 days, 11 hours - a new endurance record at the time - and the crew conducted extensive Earth observation photography as part of the EREP suite of experiments. Images such as this one were used by geographers, oceanographers, and environmental scientists to study land use, coastline changes, and oceanographic features across the Mediterranean.
The Peloponnese peninsula shown here is one of the most historically significant landmasses on Earth, home to ancient Sparta, Corinth, Olympia, and Mycenae. The Gulf of Corinth - the distinctive body of water separating the Peloponnese from mainland Greece - is clearly visible. Following Skylab 3, Bean went on to command Skylab 4, Garriott\'s son Marc Garriott later flew to the ISS as a space tourist in 2008, and Lousma commanded STS-3 in 1982. Skylab itself was abandoned in February 1974 and re-entered Earth\'s atmosphere in July 1979.
Print analysis
This is an original NASA photographic print produced on Kodak photographic paper, as confirmed by the repeated "THIS PAPER MANUFACTURED BY KODAK" watermark on the reverse. The NASA worm logo, Johnson Space Center header, and official photo identification number SL3- are consistent with official NASA mission prints distributed from the JSC photo lab in the 1970s. This is a Type 1 original print, produced at or very close in time to the Skylab 3 mission (1973). The reddish-brown false-color tone is consistent with infrared-sensitive Kodak Ektachrome film used in the EREP Earth resources cameras aboard Skylab.
Condition
In very good to excellent vintage condition. Photos in this archive have been well taken care of. Please see scans of the image we have provided for the most accurate and complete state of the photo.
