{"id":320094,"date":"2023-05-14T08:00:00","date_gmt":"2023-05-14T12:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/?post_type=migration&p=320094"},"modified":"2024-05-13T12:17:16","modified_gmt":"2024-05-13T16:17:16","slug":"50-years-ago-the-launch-of-skylab-americas-first-space-station","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/history\/50-years-ago-the-launch-of-skylab-americas-first-space-station\/","title":{"rendered":"50 Years Ago: The Launch of Skylab, America\u2019s First Space Station"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"\" class=\"padding-top-5 padding-bottom-3 width-full maxw-full hds-module hds-module-full wp-block-nasa-blocks-article-intro\"><div class=\"width-full maxw-full article-header\"><div class=\"margin-bottom-2 width-full maxw-full\"><p class=\"label carbon-60 margin-0 margin-bottom-3 padding-0\">8 min read<\/p><h1 class=\"display-48 margin-bottom-2\">50 Years Ago: The Launch of Skylab, America\u2019s First Space Station<\/h1><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<p>Skylab, America\u2019s first space station and the first crewed research laboratory in space, lifted off on May 14, 1973, on the last Saturn V rocket. Although the Soviet Union orbited the first experimental space station called Salyut in 1971, the larger and more complex Skylab enabled research in several areas. These included life sciences, in particular the astronauts\u2019 physiological responses to long-duration space flight, Earth sciences, and solar physics and astronomy, with additional experiments in materials processing. Skylab also gave students the opportunity to fly experiments in space. Three crews of three astronauts planned to spend 28, 56, and 56 days aboard the orbiting laboratory conducting 270 experiments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/skylab_1_launch_1_skylab_as_planned_illustration_mscf-72-sl-7200-110.jpg\" alt=\"skylab_as_planned_illustration\" width=\"214\" height=\"180\"> <img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/skylab_1_launch_2_skylab_program_patch_s73-23952.jpg\" alt=\"skylab_program_patch\" width=\"180\" height=\"180\"> <img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/skylab_1_launch_3_skylab_cews_portrait_montage_s72-47794.jpg\" alt=\"skylab_cews_portrait_montage\" width=\"229\" height=\"180\"><br><em><strong>Left<\/strong>: Illustration of the Skylab space station and its components as it would have appeared without the damage incurred at launch. <strong>Middle<\/strong>: Skylab Program patch. <strong>Right<\/strong>: Composite of the three three-person crews who completed long-duration missions aboard the space station.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Skylab complex consisted of four major components: the Orbital Workshop (OWS), the Airlock Module (AM), the Multiple Docking Adapter (MDA), and the Apollo Telescope Mount (ATM). The Apollo Command and Service Module transported crews to and from Skylab and remained attached to the station throughout a crew\u2019s occupancy to serve as an emergency escape vehicle. The OWS served as the main working, living, and sleeping compartment for the crews, and contained exercise equipment, a galley, and many of the scientific experiments, for the life sciences studies. Two large solar arrays on the OWS provided 12.4 kW of power to the station. The AM enabled astronauts to conduct spacewalks, while the MDA included a prime and backup docking port for the Apollo spacecraft and also housed the Earth Resources Experiment Package. The ATM contained telescopes for solar observations and four solar arrays for additional power. Once in orbit, the complex weighed 170,000 pounds, by far the heaviest spacecraft at that time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/skylab_1_launch_4_skylab_flight_unit_huntington_beach_1971.jpg\" alt=\"skylab_flight_unit_huntington_beach_1971\" width=\"160\" height=\"305\"> <img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/skylab_1_launch_5_ows_arr_vab_sep_23_1972.jpg\" alt=\"skylab_1_launch_ows_arr_vab_sep_23_1972\" width=\"302\" height=\"305\"> <img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/skylab_1_launch_6_ows_mating_to_saturn_v_hb2_sep_29_1972.jpg\" alt=\"skylab_1_launch_ows_mating_to_saturn_v_hb2_sep_29_1972\" width=\"165\" height=\"305\"><br><em><strong>Left<\/strong>: Workers at the McDonnell Douglas plant in Huntington Beach, California, work on the Skylab 1 Orbital Workshop (OWS) in 1971. <strong>Middle<\/strong>: The completed Skylab OWS after arrival in the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) at NASA\u2019s Kennedy Space Center in Florida in September 1972. <strong>Right<\/strong>: Workers in the VAB stack the Skylab OWS atop its Saturn V rocket.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Engineers at the McDonnell Douglas plant in Huntington Beach, California, converted the S-IVB stage of Saturn IB-212 into the Skylab OWS, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/history\/50-years-ago-six-months-until-skylab-americas-first-space-station\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"140798\">delivering it to NASA\u2019s Kennedy Space Center<\/a> (KSC) in Florida on Sept. 23, 1972. They also converted the S-IVB from Saturn V-515 into a flight backup OWS. Workers in KSC\u2019s Vehicle Assembly Building stacked the OWS and the other Skylab components onto their Saturn V rocket and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/history\/50-years-ago-skylab-space-station-rolls-out-to-the-launch-pad\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"320275\">rolled the vehicle to Launch Pad 39A<\/a> on April 16, 1973. Following completion of a countdown test on May 3, the actual countdown for launch began on May 9. Engineers conducted a parallel countdown for the first crew expected to liftoff from Launch Pad 39B 24 hours after the launch of lab.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/skylab_1_launch_7_rollout_back_of_vab_ksc-373c-545-29.jpg\" alt=\"skylab_1_launch_rollout_back_of_vab_ksc\" width=\"292\" height=\"236\"> <img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/skylab_1_launch_8_skylab_1_and_2_on_launch_pads_39a_and_b_ksc-73pc-410.jpg\" alt=\"skylab_1_and_2_on_launch_pads\" width=\"280\" height=\"236\"><br><em><strong>Left<\/strong>: Rollout of Skylab 1 atop its Saturn V rocket on April 16, 1973. <strong>Right<\/strong>: Two Saturn rockets on their respective pads \u2013 Skylab 1 atop its Saturn V on Pad 39A in the foreground and Skylab 2 atop its Saturn IB on Pad 39B in the background.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>On May 14, 1973, the final Saturn V rocket thundered off Launch Pad 39A at NASA\u2019s Kennedy Space Center in Florida to lift the Skylab space station into orbit. At first, all appeared to be proceeding normally, but at about 63 seconds into the mission, flight controllers in Houston observed the first signs of trouble. Telemetry indicated premature deployment of the micrometeoroid shield, designed to protect the station from debris and also act as a thermal blanket, and at least one of the OWS solar arrays, events that should have taken place only once the station achieved orbit. Less than 10 minutes after launch, after reaching its planned orbit, Skylab separated from the Saturn V\u2019s S-II second stage and began a preprogrammed sequence to deploy the solar arrays and the ATM. Engineers in the Mission Control Center at NASA\u2019s Johnson Space Center, led by Flight Director Donald R. Puddy, noted that while the ATM and its arrays deployed normally, sensors indicated that the main OWS arrays did not and were only generating 25 watts of power. Furthermore, temperatures inside the station began steadily rising to levels that would be intolerable for the crew, harmful to delicate equipment, and ruin onboard consumables, indicating the loss of thermal protection from the missing micrometeoroid shield. With the station underpowered and overheating, the entire Skylab program seemed in jeopardy. Flight controllers faced a daunting challenge. To maximize power generation by the ATM solar arrays, the best attitude was to orient them toward the Sun, but this caused maximal heating on the orbital workshop. Conversely, the optimal attitude to minimize the heat loads on the OWS significantly reduced power generation. After a day or so, controllers arrived at a compromise attitude to balance these competing factors while engineers and astronauts worked tirelessly to find more permanent solutions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/skylab_1_launch_9_skylab_1_launch_may_14_1973_s73-26912.jpg\" alt=\"skylab_1_launch_may_14_1973\" width=\"581\" height=\"260\"><br><em>Launch of the Skylab 1 space station on May 14, 1973, the final flight of a Saturn V rocket.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Review of the telemetry revealed that two major and interrelated anomalies occurred during powered flight, at 63 seconds and 593 seconds into the mission, as well as one close call. The first anomaly occurred two seconds after the vehicle passed the sound barrier, when aerodynamic forces tore the micrometeoroid shield from around the OWS and loosened both of the large solar arrays, with debris wrapping around one of them, preventing its eventual deployment. Because the vehicle had entered into a cloud deck during ascent, ground observers could not observe the event. As the shield fell from Skylab, its debris damaged pyrotechnic devices designed to separate the interstage ring between the first and second stages. A few seconds following burnout and jettison of the first stage, the interstage structure normally jettisons also, but in this case it remained in place. The S-II second stage engines ignited into the partially enclosed space, raising temperatures around the engines to near catastrophic levels. The engines finally shut down as planned, seconds from averting a launch abort. When Skylab separated from the second stage at 593 seconds, retrorockets designed to back the stage away from the lab impinged on one of the partially opened solar panels and tore it from the vehicle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/skylab_1_launch_10_skylab_1_launch_w_skylab_2_in_foreground_may_14_1973.jpg\" alt=\"skylab_1_launch_w_skylab_2_in_foreground_may_14_1973\" width=\"283\" height=\"221\"> <img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/skylab_1_launch_11_skylab_1_launch_well_underway.jpg\" alt=\"skylab_1_launch_well_underway\" width=\"284\" height=\"221\"><br><em><strong>Left<\/strong>: Liftoff of the Skylab 1 space station from Launch Pad 39A, with the Saturn IB for the Skylab 2 crew in the foreground on Launch Pad 39B. <strong>Right<\/strong>: The Saturn V carrying the Skylab 1 space station seconds before it disappeared from view in the cloud cover, when the micrometeoroid shield tore off the vehicle.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Managers delayed the launch of the first crew, planned to take place 24 hours after Skylab reached orbit, first by five days and, as troubleshooting continued, another five days until May 25. The crew, Commander <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/conrad_charles.pdf?emrc=2dbaa3\">Charles \u201cPete\u201d Conrad<\/a>, Pilot <a href=\"https:\/\/historycollection.jsc.nasa.gov\/JSCHistoryPortal\/history\/oral_histories\/WeitzPJ\/weitzpj.htm\" rel=\"noopener\">Paul J. Weitz<\/a>, and Science Pilot <a href=\"https:\/\/historycollection.jsc.nasa.gov\/JSCHistoryPortal\/history\/oral_histories\/KerwinJP\/kerwinjp.htm\" rel=\"noopener\">Joseph P. Kerwin<\/a>, flew back to Houston to begin training for a seemingly impossible mission to rescue Skylab. Engineers, managers and astronauts at NASA\u2019s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, and Johnson Space Center in Houston began working around the clock to find a solution to lower the station\u2019s internal temperature and to deploy the solar arrays to allow the Skylab program to continue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/skylab_1_launch_12_micrometeoroid_shield_schematic.jpg\" alt=\"micrometeoroid_shield_schematic\" width=\"264\" height=\"220\"> <img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/skylab_1_launch_13_shield_tearing_schematic.png\" alt=\"shield_tearing_schematic\" width=\"260\" height=\"220\"> <img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/skylab_1_launch_14_skylab_solar_array_anomaly_illustration.jpg\" alt=\"skylab_solar_array_anomaly_illustration\" width=\"168\" height=\"220\"><br><em><strong>Left<\/strong>: Schematic illustration of the Skylab micrometeoroid shield. <strong>Middle<\/strong>: Illustration of the most likely scenario of the loss of Skylab\u2019s micrometeoroid shield and its impact on the solar arrays. <strong>Credit: Image courtesy Johannes Kempannen.<\/strong> <strong>Right<\/strong>: Illustration of the retrorocket plume causing the loss of one of Skylab\u2019s solar arrays.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>NASA Administrator <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/history\/50-years-ago-james-fletcher-sworn-in-as-nasa-administrator\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"168486\">James C. Fletcher<\/a> formed an investigation board to determine the cause of the failure of the micrometeoroid shield. The board concluded that the shield\u2019s inability to withstand the supersonic air currents during launch contributed to the failure. Also, prelaunch testing focused on deployment of the shield in orbit, not surviving the aerodynamically stressful launch environment. Developers of the shield, the board concluded, did not spend enough time talking with aerodynamicists about the shield\u2019s launch environment and its potential impacts on the hardware. Finally, managers treated the shield as a subsystem of the launch vehicle and therefore did not assign a dedicated project engineer to the shield to consider design and load concerns. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As a side note, the Saturn V\u2019s S-II second stage also entered orbit, as planned, becoming the largest although not the heaviest single object placed into orbit\u2013 Skylab 1 itself holds that distinction at 170,000 pounds. The stage weighed an estimated 79,700 pounds after venting its residual propellant and made an uncontrolled, and mainly unpublicized, reentry over the Indian Ocean on Jan. 11, 1975. Skylab 1, years after the departure of the final crew, made a highly publicized <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/history\/40-years-ago-skylab-reenters-earths-atmosphere\/\">reentry<\/a> over the Indian Ocean and Australia on July 11, 1979.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/skylab_1_launch_15_skylab_b_at_nasm.jpg\" alt=\"skylab_b_at_nasm\" width=\"173\" height=\"260\"> <img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/skylab_1_launch_16_skylab_trainer_at_sch.jpg\" alt=\"skylab_trainer_at_sch\" width=\"391\" height=\"260\"><br><em><strong>Left<\/strong>: The backup Skylab workshop on display at the Smithsonian Institution\u2019s National Air and Space Museum (NASM) in Washington, D.C. <strong>Credit: Image courtesy of NASM.<\/strong> <strong>Right<\/strong>: View inside the Skylab trainer on display at Space Center Houston (SCH). <strong>Credit: Image courtesy of SCH.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The backup Skylab OWS on display at the Smithsonian Institution\u2019s National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C., and the Skylab training module on display at Space Center Houston.<\/p>\n\n\n<div id=\"\" class=\"nasa-gb-align-full width-full maxw-full padding-x-3 padding-y-0 article_a hds-module hds-module-full wp-block-nasa-blocks-credits-and-details\">\n<section class=\"padding-x-0 padding-top-5 padding-bottom-2 desktop:padding-top-7 desktop:padding-bottom-9\">\n\t<div class=\"grid-row grid-container maxw-widescreen padding-0\">\n\t\t<div class=\"grid-col-12 desktop:grid-col-2 padding-right-4 margin-bottom-5 desktop:margin-bottom-0\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"padding-top-3 border-top-1px border-color-carbon-black\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"margin-bottom-2\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"heading-14\">Share<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"padding-bottom-2\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<ul class=\"social-icons 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4.5h-5v16h5v-16zm7.982 0h-4.968v16h4.969v-8.399c0-4.67 6.029-5.052 6.029 0v8.399h4.988v-10.131c0-7.88-8.922-7.593-11.018-3.714v-2.155z\"\/><\/svg>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<li class=\"social-icon social-icon-rss\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"\/feed\/\" aria-label=\"Subscribe to RSS feed.\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewBox=\"0 0 800 800\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><path d=\"M493 652H392c0-134-111-244-244-244V307c189 0 345 156 345 345zm71 0c0-228-188-416-416-416V132c285 0 520 235 520 520z\"\/><circle cx=\"219\" cy=\"581\" r=\"71\"\/><\/svg>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/ul>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"grid-col-12 desktop:grid-col-5 padding-right-4 margin-bottom-5 desktop:margin-bottom-0\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"padding-top-3 border-top-1px border-color-carbon-black\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"margin-bottom-2\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"heading-14\">Details<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"grid-row margin-bottom-3\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"grid-col-4\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"subheading\">Last Updated<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"grid-col-8\">May 13, 2024<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<div class=\"grid-col-12 desktop:grid-col-5 padding-right-4 margin-bottom-5 desktop:margin-bottom-0\"><div class=\"padding-top-3 border-top-1px border-color-carbon-black \"><div class=\"margin-bottom-2\"><h2 class=\"heading-14\">Related Terms<\/h2><\/div><ul class=\"article-tags\"><li class=\"article-tag\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/history\/\">NASA History<\/a><\/li><li class=\"article-tag\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/skylab\/\">Skylab<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/div><\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/section>\n\t<\/div>\n\n<div id=\"\" class=\"nasa-gb-align-full width-full maxw-full padding-x-3 padding-y-0 hds-module hds-module-full wp-block-nasa-blocks-related-articles\">\t\t<section class=\"hds-related-articles padding-x-0 padding-y-3 desktop:padding-top-7 desktop:padding-bottom-9\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"w-100 grid-row grid-container maxw-widescreen padding-0 text-align-left\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"margin-bottom-4\"><h2 style=\"max-width: 100%;\" class=\"width-full w-full maxw-full\">Explore More<\/h2><\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<div class=\"grid-row grid-container maxw-widescreen padding-0\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"grid-col-12 desktop:grid-col-4 margin-bottom-4 desktop:margin-bottom-0 desktop:padding-right-3\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/history\/50-years-ago-three-months-until-skylab-americas-first-space-station\/\" class=\"color-carbon-black\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"margin-bottom-2\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"hds-cover-wrapper cover-hover-zoom bg-carbon-black minh-mobile\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figure class=\"hds-media-background  \"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"240\" height=\"300\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/skylab_l-3_months_1_sl2_plast_jan_30_1973_w_fvv_csm.jpg?w=240\" class=\"attachment-medium size-medium\" alt=\"\" style=\"transform: scale(1); transform-origin: 50% 50%; object-position: 50% 50%; object-fit: cover;\" block_context=\"nasa-block\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/skylab_l-3_months_1_sl2_plast_jan_30_1973_w_fvv_csm.jpg 332w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/skylab_l-3_months_1_sl2_plast_jan_30_1973_w_fvv_csm.jpg?resize=240,300 240w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/skylab_l-3_months_1_sl2_plast_jan_30_1973_w_fvv_csm.jpg?resize=320,400 320w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 240px) 100vw, 240px\" loading=\"eager\" \/><\/figure>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"padding-right-0 desktop:padding-right-10\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"subheading margin-bottom-1\">5 min read<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"margin-bottom-1\"><h3 class=\"related-article-title\">50 Years Ago: Three Months Until Skylab, America\u2019s First Space Station<\/h3><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"p-md color-carbon-60\">In February 1973, workers at NASA\u2019s Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in Florida continued to prepare…<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"display-flex flex-align-center label related-article-label margin-bottom-1 color-carbon-60\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"display-flex flex-align-center margin-right-2\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<svg version=\"1.1\" class=\"square-2 margin-right-1\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" xmlns:xlink=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/1999\/xlink\" x=\"0px\" y=\"0px\" width=\"16px\" height=\"16px\" viewBox=\"0 0 16 16\" style=\"enable-background:new 0 0 16 16;\" xml:space=\"preserve\"><g><g><path d=\"M8,0C3.5,0-0.1,3.7,0,8.2C0.1,12.5,3.6,16,8,16c4.4,0,8-3.6,8-8C16,3.5,12.4,0,8,0z M8,15.2 C4,15.2,0.8,12,0.8,8C0.8,4,4,0.8,8,0.8c3.9,0,7.2,3.2,7.2,7.1C15.2,11.9,12,15.2,8,15.2z\"\/><path d=\"M5.6,12c0.8-0.8,1.6-1.6,2.4-2.4c0.8,0.8,1.6,1.6,2.4,2.4c0-2.7,0-5.3,0-8C8.8,4,7.2,4,5.6,4 C5.6,6.7,5.6,9.3,5.6,12z\"\/><\/g><\/g><\/svg>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span>Article<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t1 year ago\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"grid-col-12 desktop:grid-col-4 margin-bottom-4 desktop:margin-bottom-0 desktop:padding-right-3\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/history\/50-years-ago-skylab-2-the-we-fix-anything-crew-2\/\" class=\"color-carbon-black\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"margin-bottom-2\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"hds-cover-wrapper cover-hover-zoom bg-carbon-black minh-mobile\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figure class=\"hds-media-background  \"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"296\" height=\"300\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/skylab_2_launch_3_parasol_manufacture_may_18_1973_s73-26047.jpg?w=296\" class=\"attachment-medium size-medium\" alt=\"\" style=\"transform: scale(1); transform-origin: 50% 50%; object-position: 50% 50%; object-fit: cover;\" block_context=\"nasa-block\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/skylab_2_launch_3_parasol_manufacture_may_18_1973_s73-26047.jpg 985w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/skylab_2_launch_3_parasol_manufacture_may_18_1973_s73-26047.jpg?resize=296,300 296w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/skylab_2_launch_3_parasol_manufacture_may_18_1973_s73-26047.jpg?resize=768,780 768w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/skylab_2_launch_3_parasol_manufacture_may_18_1973_s73-26047.jpg?resize=50,50 50w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/skylab_2_launch_3_parasol_manufacture_may_18_1973_s73-26047.jpg?resize=100,100 100w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/skylab_2_launch_3_parasol_manufacture_may_18_1973_s73-26047.jpg?resize=394,400 394w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/skylab_2_launch_3_parasol_manufacture_may_18_1973_s73-26047.jpg?resize=591,600 591w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/skylab_2_launch_3_parasol_manufacture_may_18_1973_s73-26047.jpg?resize=887,900 887w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 296px) 100vw, 296px\" \/><\/figure>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"padding-right-0 desktop:padding-right-10\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"subheading margin-bottom-1\">13 min read<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"margin-bottom-1\"><h3 class=\"related-article-title\">50 Years Ago: Skylab 2, The \u201cWe Fix Anything\u201d Crew<\/h3><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"p-md color-carbon-60\">Skylab, America\u2019s first space station and the first crewed research laboratory in space, lifted off…<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"display-flex flex-align-center label related-article-label margin-bottom-1 color-carbon-60\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"display-flex flex-align-center margin-right-2\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<svg version=\"1.1\" class=\"square-2 margin-right-1\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" xmlns:xlink=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/1999\/xlink\" x=\"0px\" y=\"0px\" width=\"16px\" height=\"16px\" viewBox=\"0 0 16 16\" style=\"enable-background:new 0 0 16 16;\" xml:space=\"preserve\"><g><g><path d=\"M8,0C3.5,0-0.1,3.7,0,8.2C0.1,12.5,3.6,16,8,16c4.4,0,8-3.6,8-8C16,3.5,12.4,0,8,0z M8,15.2 C4,15.2,0.8,12,0.8,8C0.8,4,4,0.8,8,0.8c3.9,0,7.2,3.2,7.2,7.1C15.2,11.9,12,15.2,8,15.2z\"\/><path d=\"M5.6,12c0.8-0.8,1.6-1.6,2.4-2.4c0.8,0.8,1.6,1.6,2.4,2.4c0-2.7,0-5.3,0-8C8.8,4,7.2,4,5.6,4 C5.6,6.7,5.6,9.3,5.6,12z\"\/><\/g><\/g><\/svg>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span>Article<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t1 year ago\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"grid-col-12 desktop:grid-col-4 margin-bottom-4 desktop:margin-bottom-0 desktop:padding-right-3\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/history\/50-years-ago-skylab-2-astronauts-deploy-jammed-solar-array-during-spacewalk\/\" class=\"color-carbon-black\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"margin-bottom-2\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"hds-cover-wrapper cover-hover-zoom bg-carbon-black minh-mobile\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figure class=\"hds-media-background  \"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1300\" src=\"https:\/\/images-assets.nasa.gov\/image\/sl2-100-799\/sl2-100-799~large.jpg?w=1920&h=1300&fit=clip&crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint\" class=\"attachment-medium size-medium\" alt=\"\" style=\"transform: scale(1); transform-origin: 50% 50%; object-position: 50% 50%; object-fit: cover;\" block_context=\"nasa-block\" srcset=\"https:\/\/images-assets.nasa.gov\/image\/sl2-100-799\/sl2-100-799~large.jpg?w=1920&h=1300&fit=crop&crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 1920w, https:\/\/images-assets.nasa.gov\/image\/sl2-100-799\/sl2-100-799~large.jpg?w=300&h=203&fit=crop&crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 300w, https:\/\/images-assets.nasa.gov\/image\/sl2-100-799\/sl2-100-799~large.jpg?w=768&h=520&fit=crop&crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 768w, https:\/\/images-assets.nasa.gov\/image\/sl2-100-799\/sl2-100-799~large.jpg?w=1024&h=693&fit=crop&crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 1024w, https:\/\/images-assets.nasa.gov\/image\/sl2-100-799\/sl2-100-799~large.jpg?w=1536&h=1040&fit=crop&crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 1536w, https:\/\/images-assets.nasa.gov\/image\/sl2-100-799\/sl2-100-799~large.jpg?w=400&h=271&fit=crop&crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 400w, https:\/\/images-assets.nasa.gov\/image\/sl2-100-799\/sl2-100-799~large.jpg?w=600&h=406&fit=crop&crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 600w, https:\/\/images-assets.nasa.gov\/image\/sl2-100-799\/sl2-100-799~large.jpg?w=900&h=609&fit=crop&crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 900w, https:\/\/images-assets.nasa.gov\/image\/sl2-100-799\/sl2-100-799~large.jpg?w=1200&h=813&fit=crop&crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\" \/><\/figure>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"padding-right-0 desktop:padding-right-10\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"subheading margin-bottom-1\">5 min read<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"margin-bottom-1\"><h3 class=\"related-article-title\">50 Years Ago: Skylab 2 Astronauts Deploy Jammed Solar Array During Spacewalk<\/h3><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"display-flex flex-align-center label related-article-label margin-bottom-1 color-carbon-60\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"display-flex flex-align-center margin-right-2\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<svg version=\"1.1\" class=\"square-2 margin-right-1\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" xmlns:xlink=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/1999\/xlink\" x=\"0px\" y=\"0px\" width=\"16px\" height=\"16px\" viewBox=\"0 0 16 16\" style=\"enable-background:new 0 0 16 16;\" xml:space=\"preserve\"><g><g><path d=\"M8,0C3.5,0-0.1,3.7,0,8.2C0.1,12.5,3.6,16,8,16c4.4,0,8-3.6,8-8C16,3.5,12.4,0,8,0z M8,15.2 C4,15.2,0.8,12,0.8,8C0.8,4,4,0.8,8,0.8c3.9,0,7.2,3.2,7.2,7.1C15.2,11.9,12,15.2,8,15.2z\"\/><path d=\"M5.6,12c0.8-0.8,1.6-1.6,2.4-2.4c0.8,0.8,1.6,1.6,2.4,2.4c0-2.7,0-5.3,0-8C8.8,4,7.2,4,5.6,4 C5.6,6.7,5.6,9.3,5.6,12z\"\/><\/g><\/g><\/svg>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span>Article<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t1 year ago\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n<div id=\"\" class=\"hds-topic-cards nasa-gb-align-full maxw-full width-full padding-y-6 padding-x-3 color-mode-dark hds-module hds-module-full wp-block-nasa-blocks-topic-cards\">\t\t<div class=\"grid-container grid-container-block-lg padding-x-0\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"grid-row flex-align-center margin-bottom-3\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"desktop:grid-col-8 margin-bottom-2 desktop:margin-bottom-0\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"label color-carbon-60 margin-bottom-2\">Keep Exploring<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"heading-36 line-height-sm\">Discover More Topics From NASA<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"grid-row grid-gap-2 hds-topic-cards-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/history\/\" class=\"mobile:grid-col-12 tablet:grid-col-6 desktop:grid-col-3 topic-card margin-bottom-4 desktop:margin-bottom-0\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"hds-topic-card hds-cover-wrapper cover-hover-zoom bg-carbon-black\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"skrim-overlay skrim-overlay-dark skrim-left mobile-skrim-top padding-3 display-flex flex-align-end flex-justify-start z-200\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"hds-topic-card-heading heading-29 color-spacesuit-white line-height-sm margin-top-0 margin-bottom-1\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span>NASA History<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<svg viewBox=\"0 0 32 32\" fill=\"none\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><circle class=\"color-nasa-red\" cx=\"16\" cy=\"16\" r=\"16\"><\/circle><path d=\"M8 16.956h12.604l-3.844 4.106 1.252 1.338L24 16l-5.988-6.4-1.252 1.338 3.844 4.106H8v1.912z\" class=\"color-spacesuit-white\"><\/path><\/svg>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figure class=\"hds-media-background  \"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"983\" height=\"1223\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/as11-40-5903_alt2.jpg?w=983\" class=\"attachment-1536x1536 size-1536x1536\" alt=\"\" style=\"transform: scale(1); transform-origin: 50% 50%; object-position: 50% 50%; object-fit: cover;\" block_context=\"nasa-block\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/as11-40-5903_alt2.jpg 983w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/as11-40-5903_alt2.jpg?resize=241,300 241w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/as11-40-5903_alt2.jpg?resize=768,956 768w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/as11-40-5903_alt2.jpg?resize=823,1024 823w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/as11-40-5903_alt2.jpg?resize=322,400 322w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/as11-40-5903_alt2.jpg?resize=482,600 482w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/as11-40-5903_alt2.jpg?resize=723,900 723w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/as11-40-5903_alt2.jpg?resize=965,1200 965w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 983px) 100vw, 983px\" \/><\/figure>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/skylab\/\" class=\"mobile:grid-col-12 tablet:grid-col-6 desktop:grid-col-3 topic-card margin-bottom-4 desktop:margin-bottom-0\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"hds-topic-card hds-cover-wrapper cover-hover-zoom bg-carbon-black\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"skrim-overlay skrim-overlay-dark skrim-left mobile-skrim-top padding-3 display-flex flex-align-end flex-justify-start z-200\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"hds-topic-card-heading heading-29 color-spacesuit-white line-height-sm margin-top-0 margin-bottom-1\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span>Skylab<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<svg viewBox=\"0 0 32 32\" fill=\"none\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><circle class=\"color-nasa-red\" cx=\"16\" cy=\"16\" r=\"16\"><\/circle><path d=\"M8 16.956h12.604l-3.844 4.106 1.252 1.338L24 16l-5.988-6.4-1.252 1.338 3.844 4.106H8v1.912z\" class=\"color-spacesuit-white\"><\/path><\/svg>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figure class=\"hds-media-background  \"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1041\" height=\"1041\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/sl4-143-4706_1.jpg?w=1041\" class=\"attachment-1536x1536 size-1536x1536\" alt=\"\" style=\"transform: scale(1); transform-origin: 50% 50%; object-position: 50% 50%; object-fit: cover;\" block_context=\"nasa-block\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/sl4-143-4706_1.jpg 1041w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/sl4-143-4706_1.jpg?resize=150,150 150w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/sl4-143-4706_1.jpg?resize=300,300 300w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/sl4-143-4706_1.jpg?resize=768,768 768w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/sl4-143-4706_1.jpg?resize=1024,1024 1024w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/sl4-143-4706_1.jpg?resize=50,50 50w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/sl4-143-4706_1.jpg?resize=100,100 100w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/sl4-143-4706_1.jpg?resize=200,200 200w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/sl4-143-4706_1.jpg?resize=400,400 400w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/sl4-143-4706_1.jpg?resize=600,600 600w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/sl4-143-4706_1.jpg?resize=900,900 900w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1041px) 100vw, 1041px\" \/><\/figure>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/humans-in-space\/\" class=\"mobile:grid-col-12 tablet:grid-col-6 desktop:grid-col-3 topic-card margin-bottom-4 desktop:margin-bottom-0\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"hds-topic-card hds-cover-wrapper cover-hover-zoom bg-carbon-black\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"skrim-overlay skrim-overlay-dark skrim-left mobile-skrim-top padding-3 display-flex flex-align-end flex-justify-start z-200\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"hds-topic-card-heading heading-29 color-spacesuit-white line-height-sm margin-top-0 margin-bottom-1\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span>Humans In Space<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<svg viewBox=\"0 0 32 32\" fill=\"none\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><circle class=\"color-nasa-red\" cx=\"16\" cy=\"16\" r=\"16\"><\/circle><path d=\"M8 16.956h12.604l-3.844 4.106 1.252 1.338L24 16l-5.988-6.4-1.252 1.338 3.844 4.106H8v1.912z\" class=\"color-spacesuit-white\"><\/path><\/svg>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figure class=\"hds-media-background  \"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"368\" height=\"560\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/topic-humans-in-space.jpg?w=368\" class=\"attachment-1536x1536 size-1536x1536\" alt=\"\" style=\"transform: scale(1); transform-origin: 50% 50%; object-position: 50% 50%; object-fit: cover;\" block_context=\"nasa-block\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/topic-humans-in-space.jpg 368w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/topic-humans-in-space.jpg?resize=197,300 197w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/topic-humans-in-space.jpg?resize=263,400 263w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 368px) 100vw, 368px\" \/><\/figure>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/history\/history-publications-and-resources\/\" class=\"mobile:grid-col-12 tablet:grid-col-6 desktop:grid-col-3 topic-card margin-bottom-4 desktop:margin-bottom-0\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"hds-topic-card hds-cover-wrapper cover-hover-zoom bg-carbon-black\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"skrim-overlay skrim-overlay-dark skrim-left mobile-skrim-top padding-3 display-flex flex-align-end flex-justify-start z-200\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"hds-topic-card-heading heading-29 color-spacesuit-white line-height-sm margin-top-0 margin-bottom-1\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span>History Publications and Resources<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<svg viewBox=\"0 0 32 32\" fill=\"none\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><circle class=\"color-nasa-red\" cx=\"16\" cy=\"16\" r=\"16\"><\/circle><path d=\"M8 16.956h12.604l-3.844 4.106 1.252 1.338L24 16l-5.988-6.4-1.252 1.338 3.844 4.106H8v1.912z\" class=\"color-spacesuit-white\"><\/path><\/svg>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figure class=\"hds-media-background  \"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1536\" height=\"1229\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/nasa-history-pubs.jpg?w=1536\" class=\"attachment-1536x1536 size-1536x1536\" alt=\"\" style=\"transform: scale(1); transform-origin: 50% 50%; object-position: 50% 50%; object-fit: cover;\" block_context=\"nasa-block\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/nasa-history-pubs.jpg 2880w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/nasa-history-pubs.jpg?resize=300,240 300w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/nasa-history-pubs.jpg?resize=768,615 768w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/nasa-history-pubs.jpg?resize=1024,820 1024w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/nasa-history-pubs.jpg?resize=1536,1229 1536w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/nasa-history-pubs.jpg?resize=2048,1639 2048w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/nasa-history-pubs.jpg?resize=400,320 400w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/nasa-history-pubs.jpg?resize=600,480 600w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/nasa-history-pubs.jpg?resize=900,720 900w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/nasa-history-pubs.jpg?resize=1200,960 1200w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/nasa-history-pubs.jpg?resize=2000,1601 2000w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1536px) 100vw, 1536px\" \/><\/figure>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Skylab, America\u2019s first space station and the first crewed research laboratory in space, lifted off on May 14, 1973, on the last Saturn V rocket. Although the Soviet Union orbited the first experimental space station called Salyut in 1971, the larger and more complex Skylab enabled research in several areas.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":74,"featured_media":246114,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nasa_hds_core_meta_l10n":"en-US","nasa_hds_core_meta_article_editor":"","nasa_hds_core_meta_article_contacts":[],"nasa_hds_core_meta_article_topic":"331078","nasa_hds_core_meta_linked_locations":[],"nasa_hds_core_meta_article_related_articles":["320651","475774","444349"],"hds_migrate_meta_pr_release_id":"","hds_migrate_meta_pr_release_type":"","nasa_hds_core_meta_location_x":"","nasa_hds_core_meta_location_y":"","nasa_hds_core_meta_gallery_images":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[2671,2724],"news-tags":[],"internal-terms":[12664,11995],"coauthors":[11996],"parsely":{"version":"1.1.0","meta":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","headline":"50 Years Ago: The Launch of Skylab, America\u2019s First Space Station","url":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/history\/50-years-ago-the-launch-of-skylab-americas-first-space-station\/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/history\/50-years-ago-the-launch-of-skylab-americas-first-space-station\/"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/747027main_Skylab_illustration_full_full.jpg?w=150&h=150&crop=1","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/747027main_Skylab_illustration_full_full.jpg"},"articleSection":"NASA History","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"John Uri"}],"creator":["John Uri"],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"NASA","logo":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/themes\/nasa\/assets\/images\/nasa-logo.svg"},"keywords":["Missions","Skylab","NASA History"],"dateCreated":"2023-05-14T12:00:00Z","datePublished":"2023-05-14T12:00:00Z","dateModified":"2024-05-13T16:17:16Z"},"rendered":"<meta name=\"parsely-title\" content=\"50 Years Ago: The Launch of Skylab, America\u2019s First Space Station\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-link\" content=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/history\/50-years-ago-the-launch-of-skylab-americas-first-space-station\/\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-type\" content=\"post\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-image-url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/747027main_Skylab_illustration_full_full.jpg?w=150&h=150&crop=1\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-pub-date\" content=\"2023-05-14T12:00:00Z\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-section\" content=\"NASA History\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-tags\" content=\"Missions,Skylab,NASA History\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-author\" content=\"John Uri\" \/>","tracker_url":"https:\/\/cdn.parsely.com\/keys\/nasa.gov\/p.js"},"read_time":8,"time_ago":"1 year","featured_image":{"id":246114,"file":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/747027main_Skylab_illustration_full_full.jpg","title":"Skylab Artist’s Concept","alt":"Skylab Artist's Concept","caption":"This artist's concept from 1972 is a cutaway illustration of Skylab with the Command\/Service Module docked to the Multiple Docking Adapter. Established in 1970, the Skylab Program's goals were to enrich our scientific knowledge of the Earth, the sun, the stars and cosmic space; to study the effects of weightlessness on living organisms and more."},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/320094"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/74"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=320094"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/320094\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":660892,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/320094\/revisions\/660892"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/246114"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=320094"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=320094"},{"taxonomy":"news-tags","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news-tags?post=320094"},{"taxonomy":"internal-terms","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/internal-terms?post=320094"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=320094"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}