Skylab

Skylab was the United States' first space station, launched by NASA, occupied for about 24 weeks between May 1973 and February 1974. It was operated by three trios of astronaut crews: Skylab 2, Skylab 3, and Skylab 4. Skylab was constructed from a repurposed Saturn V third stage (the S-IVB), and took the place of the stage during launch. Operations included an orbital workshop, a solar observatory, Earth observation and hundreds of experiments. Skylab's orbit eventually decayed and it disintegrated in the atmosphere on July 11, 1979, scattering debris across the Indian Ocean and Western Austra

AI overview

Skylab was America's first space station, launched by NASA in 1973 and occupied by three rotating crews of astronauts for about six months while conducting hundreds of experiments, solar observations, and Earth studies. The station was built from a repurposed rocket stage and eventually fell back to Earth in 1979, ending its operational life.

AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.

Key facts

Space station.COSPAR_ID: 1973-027A
Space station.SATCAT: 6633
Space station.station: Skylab
Space station.station_image: Skylab (SL-4).jpg
Space station.station_image_caption: Skylab as photographed by its departing final crew (Skylab 4).
Space station.insignia: Skylab Program Patch.png
Space station.insignia_caption: Skylab program insignia
Space station.sign: Skylab
Space station.crew: 3 per mission (9 total)
Space station.launch: May 14, 1973 17:30:00 UTC ( years ago)
Space station.carrier_rocket: Saturn VAS-513
Space station.launch_pad: Kennedy LC-39A
Space station.status: Deorbited
Space station.reentry: July 11, 1979 16:37:00 UTC
Space station.mass: w/o Apollo CSM
Space station.length: w/o Apollo CSM
Space station.width: w/ one solar panel
Space station.height: w/ telescope mount

via Wikipedia infobox

Wikidata facts

Diameter: 6.6
Mass: 76295
Orbital period: 93.4
Image: Skylab (SL-4).jpg
Height: 11.1
Width: 17
Length: 25.1

Show 11 more facts

Commons category: Skylab (space station)
time of object orbit decay: 1979-07-11
UTC date of spacecraft launch: 1973-05-14
Commons gallery: Skylab
orbits completed: 34981
maximum capacity: 3
call sign: Skylab
orbital inclination: 50
apoapsis: 442
periapsis: 434
volume as quantity: 351.6

Sources (6)

via Wikidata · CC0

~64 min read

Article

48 sections

Contents

Overview
Configuration
Operations
Background
Early studies
Air Force plans
Development
Apollo Applications Program
Wet workshop
Dry workshop
Habitability
Operational history
Completion and launch
Crewed missions
Orbital operations
Experiments
Astronaut maneuvering equipment
Nobel Prize
Film vaults and window radiation shield
Gyroscopes
Shower
Cameras and film
Computers
Plans for re-use after the last mission
Shuttle mission plans
After departure
Solar activity
Skylab's fall to Earth
Launchers, rescue, and cancelled missions
Launchers
Skylab Revisit
Skylab Rescue
Skylab 5
Skylab B
Engineering mock-ups
Mission designations
SMEAT
Program cost
Gallery
Depictions in fiction
See also
References
Footnotes
Works cited
Further reading
External links
NASA
Third party

== Overview == Skylab had a mass of with a Apollo command and service module (CSM) attached and included a workshop, a solar observatory, and several hundred life science and physical science experiments. It was launched uncrewed into low Earth orbit by a Saturn V rocket modified to be similar to the Saturn INT-21, with the S-IVB, with Skylab itself being the repurposed third stage. This was the final flight for the rocket more commonly known for carrying the crewed Apollo Moon landing missions. Three subsequent missions delivered three-astronaut crews in the Apollo CSM launched by the smaller Saturn IB rocket.