{"id":802177,"date":"2026-05-14T05:02:28","date_gmt":"2026-05-14T10:02:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/spaceweekly.com\/?p=802177"},"modified":"2026-05-14T05:02:28","modified_gmt":"2026-05-14T10:02:28","slug":"skylab-americas-1st-space-station-53-years-later","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/spaceweekly.com\/?p=802177","title":{"rendered":"Skylab \u2013 America\u2019s 1st space station \u2013 53 years later"},"content":{"rendered":"


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Skylab, America\u2019s first space station, launched on May 14, 1973. Its highly publicized crash back to Earth \u2013 during which it dropped huge chunks of hardware into the Indian Ocean and across Western Australia \u2013 took place on July 11, 1979. Image via NASA.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

As we approach the 53rd anniversary of Skylab, America\u2019s 1st space station, we look back on its launch and successes. NASA originally published this story on Skylab\u2019s 40th anniversary, in 2019. Updates via NASA, and edits by EarthSky.<\/p>\n

Skylab: America\u2019s 1st space station<\/h3>\n

On May 14, 1973, 53 years ago today, a Saturn V rocket launched Skylab \u2013 America\u2019s 1st space station \u2013 into Earth-orbit. Three crews ultimately lived and worked on Skylab for over 171 days.\u00a0However, the space station is perhaps best known for its dramatic and highly publicized fall back to Earth. Read more about that below.<\/p>\n

Skylab used technology from the Apollo moon missions, including using the Apollo spacecraft to deliver the Skylab crews and return them to Earth.<\/p>\n

Overall, Skylab had two important goals. First, NASA had set out to prove humans could work and live in space for extended periods of time. Second, the astronauts aboard Skylab would study and expand our knowledge of the sun and solar astronomy. <\/p>\n

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Pass me that book? Back on Skylab, they had no iPads for their information, but instead it was all pen and paper. #Skylab50<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/hed10WQTED<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Searching For Skylab (@SF_Skylab) April 20, 2023<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

The launch didn\u2019t go smoothly<\/h3>\n

Upon liftoff, a meteoroid shield meant to shade the spacecraft deployed and tore itself off of the space station. So, the first crew had to remedy this situation while orbiting about 270 miles (435 km) above the surface of the Earth. <\/p>\n

At the same time, the shade detachment caused one of the solar-array wings to partly deploy. Then, the 2nd stage retro-rockets blew it off into space. And because of this event, a strap from the shield covered another solar-array wing so that wing couldn\u2019t open all the way to generate power.<\/p>\n

Luckily, all the other equipment and spacecraft functions were fine. For example, the Apollo Telescope Mount \u2013 the solar observatory on Skylab \u2013 with its solar arrays, and most importantly, the pressurization of the space station, were all in good working order.<\/p>\n

The Skylab team on Earth spent over a week working to stabilize Skylab and find workarounds for several issues. In addition, they addressed a serious overheating of the craft by varying its nose-up attitude to maintain an acceptable position.<\/p>\n

Finally, the spacecraft was operational, but for some time functioned with less than 50% of its designed electrical system. <\/p>\n

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The Skylab 1-Saturn V space vehicle lifts off from Launch Pad 39A on May 14, 1973. Image via NASA.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Skylab was a success<\/h3>\n

Overall, there were three crews \u2013 with three members each \u2013 that lived on Skylab. They lived and worked on Skylab for a total of 171 days and 13 hours. The crews performed over 300 experiments, including testing human\u2019s ability to live in zero gravity. They also observed the sun and Earth.<\/p>\n

The crews set new space records that included man-hours in space and time in extravehicular activities. Their combined totals exceeded all the world\u2019s previous spaceflights at that time.<\/p>\n

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Skylab 3 spacewalk. #NASA<\/a> #Skylab50<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/heC4HCb2Nx<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Searching For Skylab (@SF_Skylab) April 22, 2023<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

It was our 1st true space station<\/h3>\n

Skylab showed humans could maintain a space station, perform experiments and remain in good physical health while living in the weightlessness of space. The 1st crew stayed onboard for 28 days. The 2nd crew were in space for 59 days. And the 3rd crew remained on the space station for 84 days. Also, Skylab was the first space station to receive resupply ships, now a common occurrence for the ISS.<\/p>\n

The Skylab crew studied solar flares from space and tracked cyclones and hurricanes on Earth. Overall, they took more than 170,000 photos of the sun and over 46,000 photos of the Earth.<\/p>\n

By the way, the 3rd crew made a few observations of comet Kohoutek, a comet that was hyped as a possible comet of the century<\/em> but failed to live up to the hype.<\/p>\n