On May 14 , 1973 , NASA launchedSkylab , the first American space post . It fell to worldly concern six years subsequently , burning up in the ambience on July 11 , 1979 .
Skylabitself was a heavily change third level of a Saturn fivesome roquette — the same system we used to sendApollo missionsto the lunation . The place was immense , value more than 80 base in distance , with a 21 - foot diameter . During launch , Skylab 1 suffer major damage to its solar regalia , which delayed the launching of the Skylab 2 gang ( originally intended to establish the day after Skylab itself reached orbit ) . The Skylab 2 missionary post was modified to include repair work to the solar exponent organization and induction of a solar heating plant carapace , as the original one was fall back during launching . The Skylab 2 crew launch on May 25 , 1973 .
The Skylab mission resulted in new information about farseeing - term space habitation ( including an awesomespace shower bath ) . The first bunch spent28 daysin distance ; the second crew more than double that at 59 days ; and the final crowd ( Skylab 4 ) spent 84 days up there . That last track record was not broken by an American for two decades . Skylab also focused on solar science , Earth science , and microgravity experimentation .
Skylab was something of a bridge circuit between the Apollo and Space Shuttle programs . Indeed , Skylab was supposed to be serviced ( and its orbit advance ) by the first Shuttle , but it was n’t ready in time . Skylab ’s orbit disintegrate , eventually make it to decay and fall to Earth over the Indian Ocean on July 11 , 1979 . lump of the place made a bit of a fireworks showing streak through the atmosphere , and ultimately littered a belt of Australia . No injury were reported from the falling debris , though media coverage of the reentry was acute .
Here ’s a short NASA documentary film on Skylab , explaining the story of the station . Have a look :
If you ’d like to live over the launching , here ’s live TV reporting from that day :
And if you ’d wish to learn more about its clash , and what it taught NASA run ahead , learn this :
This story has been update for 2020 .
