April 15, 2026
A relic reenters… and the comments explode
PBS Nova: Terror in Space (1998)
This 1998 PBS site still works—and the comments are a warzone of nostalgia and Skylab shade
TLDR: PBS’s 1998 NOVA site on Mir’s turbulent final years is still online, complete with tours, mishaps, and an astronaut Q&A. Commenters gush over 90s web nostalgia, hunt for the missing episode, and reignite Mir‑versus‑Skylab debates—reminding everyone why preserving old sites keeps space history (and arguments) alive.
The internet just cracked open a time capsule: a still‑working 1998 PBS NOVA site for “Terror in Space,” chronicling Mir, the aging Russian station deliberately crashed in 2001. Commenters are buzzing. One camp is dazzled—“Amazing that this is still up,” marvels signorovitch—while others swoon over 90s web vibes: exogeny salutes “tables, image maps, and transparent GIFs.” Cue jokes about digital archaeologists with “View Source” brushes and pleas to right‑click everything before it vanishes.
Beyond nostalgia, the content still slaps: a click‑through tour of Mir, a day‑in‑the‑life aboard, a sneak peek at the future International Space Station, a gallery of space mishaps, and a Q&A with astronaut Jerry Linenger, who spent five months up there. But the hunt is on for the episode itself—danvk asks where the video lives, echoing a common gripe that old PBS shows are hard to find. Then chasil lobs a spicy question: Was Skylab any better? Cue links to Skylab and its fiery fall, and a mini flame war over which orbiting jalopy had the rougher ride. Troutwine revives the drama with “Dragonfly,” a controversial book on the Mir crisis. Verdict? A perfect storm of nostalgia, space chaos, and preservation panic. Internet history never sleeps, apparently.
Key Points
- •NOVA’s companion site focuses on the Russian space station Mir, described as aging and trouble-prone.
- •Mir’s controlled deorbit in March 2001 is noted as part of the station’s story.
- •The site offers a “Tour of Mir” with a station layout and interior walkthrough videos.
- •Sections include “Day in the Life,” “The Next Space Station” previewing the International Space Station, and “Mishaps of the Space Age.”
- •Features include a Q&A with astronaut Jerry Linenger; NOVA Online is produced by WGBH for PBS with funding from the Park Foundation, The Northwestern Mutual Life Foundation, and Iomega Corporation.