21 Facts About Skylab

1.

Skylab was the first United States space station, launched by NASA, occupied for about 24 weeks between May 1973 and February 1974.

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2.

Skylab included the Apollo Telescope Mount, a multiple docking adapter with two docking ports, an airlock module with extravehicular activity hatches, and the orbital workshop, the main habitable space inside Skylab.

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3.

Later plans to reuse Skylab were stymied by delays in the development of the Space Shuttle, and Skylab's decaying orbit could not be stopped.

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4.

Skylab had for several years been proposing stations based on the S-IV stage, before it was replaced by the S-IVB.

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5.

Skylab did not have recycling systems such as the conversion of urine to drinking water; it did not dispose of waste by dumping it into space.

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6.

The crewed missions to Skylab would occur using a Saturn IB rocket from Launch Pad 39B.

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7.

Skylab 2 spent less time than planned on most experiments due to station repairs.

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8.

Skylab 4 carried out several more experiments, such as to observe Comet Kohoutek.

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9.

Skylab had certain features to protect vulnerable technology from radiation.

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10.

Skylab was the first large spacecraft to use big gyroscopes, capable of controlling its attitude.

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11.

Skylab had a zero-gravity shower system in the work and experiment section of the Orbital Workshop designed and built at the Manned Spaceflight Center.

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12.

Skylab said, "It took a fair amount longer to use than you might expect, but you come out smelling good".

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13.

Skylab supplied astronauts with rayon terrycloth towels which had a color-coded stitching for each crew-member.

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14.

Simulated Skylab shower was used during the 56-day SMEAT simulation; the crew used the shower after exercise and found it a positive experience.

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15.

Skylab was controlled in part by a digital computer system, and one of its main jobs was to control the pointing of the station; pointing was especially important for its solar power collection and observatory functions.

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16.

Personal computing needs Skylab crews were equipped with models of the then new hand-held electronic scientific calculator, which was used in place of slide-rules used on prior space missions as the primary personal computer.

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17.

Slowly at first – dropping 30 kilometers by 1980 – and then faster – another 100 kilometers by the end of 1982 – Skylab would come down, and some time around March 1983 it would burn up in the dense atmosphere.

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18.

When Skylab 5 was cancelled, it was expected Skylab would stay in orbit until the 1980s, which was enough time to overlap with the beginning of Shuttle launches.

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19.

Proponents of Skylab's reuse said repairing and upgrading Skylab would provide information on the results of long-duration exposure to space for future stations.

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20.

Skylab's demise in 1979 was an international media event, with T-shirts and hats with bullseyes and "Skylab Repellent" with a money-back guarantee, wagering on the time and place of re-entry, and nightly news reports.

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21.

Skylab Medical Experiment Altitude Test or SMEAT was a 56-day Earth analog Skylab test.

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