From 1973 to 1974, three crews of three astronauts were sent to space to spend the better part of that year in a scientific workshop that floated around the Earth, called the Skylab.

Before these people were carted off to space, however, NASA had full-scale mock-ups constructed in order to prepare the astronauts for the experience ahead of them. It was finely-built and it contained equipment that was then worth thousands of dollars, the most modern of their time.

After the success of the Skylab, these mock-ups were then placed on display at the US Space and Rocket Center (USRC) located in Huntsville Alabama, until several years ago, it was decided to move the display outside. Now, this remnant of the Skylab is rotting away as its problems not only include birds nesting in the compartments or raccoons living in the floor, but it now also faces the dangers that are brought about by being exposed to the sun, rain, wind, as well as other forces of nature as this artifact is nearing the point of no return.

Because of this, an engineering group has stepped up to the challenge of bringing the Skylab model back to its former glory, and has begun a restoration project led by Tom Hancock, a board member of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics.

However, because of the sheer scale of the project, a call for volunteers and donations is being issued to help save this American relic.

The restoration is expected to take up to a year. Afterwards, there are plans to move the Skylab replica into a building that is being constructed to accommodate a full-scale Saturn V moon rocket that has also been restored.