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Skylab: the story on HearLore | HearLore
— Ch. 1 · Origins And Design Evolution —
Skylab.
~7 min read · Ch. 1 of 6
Wernher von Braun published a series of articles in Collier's magazine between 1952 and 1954 titled Man Will Conquer Space Soon! These writings envisioned a large circular station rotating to generate artificial gravity. The design included eighty men operating telescopes, forecasting weather, and conducting surveillance from orbit. Von Braun expected future expeditions to the Moon and Mars would launch from this orbital laboratory. By 1963, NASA and the Department of Defense agreed to cooperate on building a space station. The Air Force announced its Manned Orbiting Laboratory project in December 1963 as a photo reconnaissance facility. This military station competed for funding with NASA plans for five years. Politicians often suggested that NASA participate in MOL or use the DoD design. The agency decided the Air Force station was not large enough. They also determined converting Apollo hardware for Titan boosters would be too slow and expensive. The DoD canceled MOL in June 1969. In November 1964, von Braun proposed a wet workshop concept using the S-II second stage of a Saturn V rocket. This design required venting hydrogen fuel before astronauts could enter the equipment section. A dry workshop idea emerged later when budget cuts forced changes. NASA received US$42 million for Apollo Applications in fiscal year 1967 instead of the requested US$450 million. The cancellation of Apollo missions 18 through 20 freed up three Saturn V boosters. These extra vehicles allowed work to continue on an S-IVB-based dry workshop design. On the 1st of April 1966, MSC sent contracts to Douglas Aircraft Company, Grumman, and McDonnell for the conversion of an S-IVB spent stage. The Orbital Workshop was renamed Skylab in February 1970 after a NASA contest.
When did Skylab launch and what happened during its launch?
Skylab launched on the 14th of May 1973 from Kennedy Space Center. Severe damage occurred when the micrometeoroid shield tore away, leaving the station with a power deficit and dangerously high temperatures.
Who designed the parasol sunshade used to repair Skylab?
Jack Kinzler designed the parasol-like sunshade deployed by the first crewed mission. This solution brought internal temperatures down to acceptable levels after the initial launch failure.
How long did each of the three Skylab crews stay in orbit?
The first crew stayed for 28 days while the second crew remained for 56 days starting on the 28th of July 1973. The third crew extended the human record by staying until the 8th of February 1974 for a total duration of 84 days.
Where did debris from Skylab land when it re-entered Earth's atmosphere?
Debris landed about 40 miles east of Perth in Western Australia following re-entry at approximately 16:37 UTC on the 11th of July 1979. Residents reported seeing colorful flares as large pieces broke up in the atmosphere without causing human injuries.
What scientific experiments were conducted aboard Skylab?
Skylab logged about 2,000 hours of scientific and medical experiments including observations of Comet Kohoutek and the Sun's coronal holes. Astronauts also studied biological responses using mice and gnats while recording data across visible infrared and microwave spectral regions.
Skylab launched on the 14th of May 1973, by a modified Saturn V rocket from Kennedy Space Center. Severe damage occurred during launch when the micrometeoroid shield tore away from the workshop. Debris from the lost shield became tangled in the remaining solar panel array. This prevented full deployment and left the station with a huge power deficit. Temperatures inside rose dangerously high as intense solar heating threatened to melt plastic insulation. Poisonous gases would have been released if the heat continued unchecked. The first crewed mission, Skylab 2, launched on the 25th of May 1973, to perform extensive repairs. Astronauts deployed a parasol-like sunshade through a small instrument port from inside the station. Jack Kinzler designed this solution which brought temperatures down to acceptable levels. The crew conducted further repairs via two spacewalks known as extravehicular activities. They freed the jammed solar panels to restore electrical power. This marked the first time that a repair of such magnitude was performed in space. Skylab 2 stayed in orbit for 28 days before returning to Earth. The second crew, Skylab 3, launched on the 28th of July 1973, and remained for 56 days. The third crew, Skylab 4, launched on the 16th of November 1973, and stayed until the 8th of February 1974. Their mission duration reached 84 days, extending the human record beyond the 23 days set by Soyuz 11.
Scientific Observations And Discoveries
Skylab logged about 2,000 hours of scientific and medical experiments during its operational life. Astronauts took thousands of photographs of Earth using various camera systems including 35mm Nikon cameras and 70mm Hasselblad models. The Apollo Telescope Mount provided unprecedented observation of the Sun with eight telescopes. Scientists confirmed the existence of the Sun's coronal holes through these efforts. Over 150,000 successful exposures were recorded on film canisters weighing up to 40 kg each. These films had to be manually retrieved during spacewalks and returned to Earth aboard Apollo capsules. The station observed Comet Kohoutek during the final mission in early 1974. Riccardo Giacconi shared the 2002 Nobel Prize in Physics for his study of X-ray astronomy conducted onboard Skylab. This work contributed significantly to the birth of X-ray astronomy as a field. Life science experiments investigated human physiology adaptation to extended microgravity periods. Mice and gnats flew inside the station to test biological responses to weightlessness. A spider named Anita spun webs that scientists studied for dexterity in low gravity. The Earth Resources Experiment Package viewed our planet with sensors recording data across visible, infrared, and microwave spectral regions. These observations covered mineral resources, geology, hurricanes, and land vegetation patterns. Material science experiments included welding, brazing, metal melting, crystal growth, and fluid dynamics studies.
Life Aboard The Orbital Workshop
A typical day began at 6 a.m. Central Time Zone aboard the orbital workshop. Astronauts stood to eat breakfast because sitting strained abdominal muscles in microgravity. Food was bland and repetitive despite improvements over earlier Apollo rations. Gas in drinking water caused flatulence while utensils floated away from containers. Each astronaut had a private sleeping area the size of a small walk-in closet with curtains and lockers. Designers added a shower system designed by the Manned Spaceflight Center. Paul J. Weitz became the first person to use the space shower on Skylab 2. He reported it took about two and a half hours including setup and cleanup time. Later crews usually cleaned themselves daily with wet washcloths instead of using the full shower. The toilet was small and noisy but received compliments from both veteran astronauts and rookies. Bending over to put on socks or tie shoelaces strained abdominal muscles significantly. The station offered what later studies called a highly satisfactory living environment for crews. Enough room existed for personal privacy during long missions. Books, music players, dart sets, and playing cards provided recreation options. The window with its view of Earth became the most popular way to relax in orbit. Crews performed household chores after dinner before preparing for next day experiments.
Decay And Atmospheric Reentry
Skylab's impending demise in 1979 became an international media event with T-shirts and hats featuring bullseyes sold worldwide. The San Francisco Examiner offered a US$10,000 prize for the first piece delivered to their offices. The rival San Francisco Chronicle offered US$200,000 if a subscriber suffered property damage. A Nebraska neighborhood painted a target so that the station would have something to aim for. Ground controllers re-established contact with Skylab in March 1978 and recharged its batteries. They adjusted orientation to minimize risk of debris landing on populated areas. Re-entry began at approximately 16:37 UTC on the 11th of July 1979. Debris landed about 40 miles east of Perth, Western Australia due to a four percent calculation error. Residents and an airline pilot saw dozens of colorful flares as large pieces broke up in the atmosphere. Don Lind reported no human injuries or deaths occurred during the crash. Stan Thornton found 24 pieces of Skylab at his home in Esperance. He collected the Examiner prize and another US$1,000 from a Philadelphia businessman. Analysis showed the station disintegrated much lower than expected above Earth. The Shire of Esperance light-heartedly fined NASA A$400 for littering which was eventually paid in April 2009.
Legacy And Cultural Impact
From 1966 to 1974, the Skylab program cost a total of US$2.2 billion. Each man-day in space cost approximately US$20 million compared to US$7.5 million for the International Space Station. After Skylab's fall, NASA focused on the reusable Spacelab module deployed with the Space Shuttle. The next American major space station project became Space Station Freedom merged into the International Space Station in 1993. Shuttle-Mir was another project leading to US funding of Spektr, Priroda, and the Mir Docking Module in the 1990s. A second flight-quality backup Skylab called Skylab B transferred to the National Air and Space Museum in 1975. It has been on display since 1976 allowing viewers to walk through living quarters. An engineering mock-up used for astronaut training sits at the Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center visitor center in Houston. Another training mockup resides at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center in Huntsville Alabama. The Orbital Workshop portion of that trainer was restored and moved into the Davidson Center in 2013. Films like Dogs in Space from 1986 featured storylines about fabricating pieces to win competitions. The documentary Searching for Skylab released online in March 2019 explored the crash aftermath. Apple TV+ series For All Mankind depicted the station surviving into the 1980s in an alternate timeline.