Skylab

Skylab was the first United States space station, launched by NASA, occupied for about 24 weeks between May 1973 and February 1974. It was operated by three separate three-astronaut crews: Skylab 2, Skylab 3, and Skylab 4. Major operations included an orbital workshop, a solar observatory, Earth observation, and hundreds of experiments. Unable to be re-boosted by the Space Shuttle, which was not ready until 1981, Skylab's orbit eventually decayed, and it disintegrated in the atmosphere on July 11, 1979, scattering debris across the Indian Ocean and Western Australia.

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Raymond Loewy, famed for his design of the Coca-Cola bottle among other work, helped design Skylab. He did so with a few principles in mind: eight hours of daily solitude, meals facing each other, and smooth partitions

50 Years Ago: Launch of Skylab 4, The Final Mission to Skylab

A View Through Skylab

Joseph Kerwin was the first American physician to go to space and had the first chance to study space medicine. Ready on Skylab with a minor surgery kit and drugs, a dislocated finger was the most serious ailment any of the three astronauts experienced when he was there

The First 3D View of Boston from Orbit – Skylab on September 21, 1973 (50 years ago today)

50 years ago, the Skylab 3 crew pranked Houston with a prepared tape with the voice of Owen Garriot's wife, Helen

When Johnny met Sally: 'The first woman in space' and a Skylab strip

50 Years Ago: Skylab 2 Astronauts Deploy Jammed Solar Array During Spacewalk

50 years ago, Skylab launched into orbit. See what it meant to an astronaut on a space station now.

Rockets Falling from Orbit: The Saturn V That Launched NASA’s Skylab

The Millennium Falcon had a control panel based on Skylab's Apollo Telescope Mount controls.

NASA's Skylab met its demise in Australia more than 40 years ago — but was it really an accident?

In the 60s "Astronaut happiness wasn’t a factor” says historian David Hitt. On Skylab 4, in 1973, the crew was overworked with packed schedules each day. They told NASA they couldn't keep up. This event is misreported as a "mutiny," but it had big effects. Astronauts now work 9-5, with weekends off.