Long before the ISS housed astronauts from all over the globe, there was Skylab. From its launch on May 14, 1973, the space station served an integral role in the U.S. space program, housing three separate crews of astronauts and helping scientists understand what happens to the human body in space.
From its dramatic takeoff to its final — and impromptu — trip to Australia, where locals stumbled across debris from the former space station, here are 21 photos from the rise and spectacular fall of Skylab.
1
Skylab 2 astronaut Charles “Pete” Conrad practices his spacewalking.
2
“Skylab 1 Space Station before launch on LC-39A, with the Saturn IB that will carry its crew of 3 into orbit behind, sitting on LC-39B. May 1973.”
3
“The last crew of Skylab, eight days before their launch to the orbiting space station. Left to right: Edward Gibson, Gerald Carr and William Pogue. 1973.”
4
“The three crewmen of the Skylab 3 mission, Alan L. Bean, Owen K. Garriott and Jack R. Lousma, leave the Manned Spacecraft Operations Building at the Kennedy Space Center on the morning of the Skylab 3 launch. 28 July 1973.”
5
“A Saturn IB rocket lifts off from the Kennedy Space Center, Florida for the Skylab 3 mission. 28 July 1973.”
6
“View of the expended S-IVB second stage of the Saturn 1B rocket taken from the Skylab 3 Command and Service Module. 28 July 1973.”
7
“NASA astronaut Alan Bean, Skylab 3 commander, doing acrobatics in the dome area of the Orbital Workshop on the Skylab space station. 30 August 1973.”
8
“Commander Gerald Carr balances Pilot William Pouge atop his index finger during some free time aboard Skylab, the first American space station. February 1974.”
9
“NASA astronaut Owen K. Garriott trims the hair of Astronaut Alan Bean on board the Skylab Space Station during the Skylab 3 mission. 19 August 1973.”
10
“Showering on Skylab space station (circa 1975).”
11
“NASA astronaut Owen K. Garriott during an EVA to retrieve an imagery experiment from the Apollo Telescope Mount attached to the Skylab in Earth orbit. Skylab 3, 6 August 1973.”
12
“NASA astronaut Owen K. Garriott prepares a meal at the crew quarters ward room table of the Orbital Workshop on the Skylab Space Station during the Skylab 3 mission. 28 July 1973.”
13
“NASA astronaut Jack R. Lousma, Skylab 3 pilot, during an extravehicular activity (EVA) on August 6, 1973.”
14
Astronauts examine each other during a 1973 mission.
15
“A close-up view of the Skylab space station cluster photographed from the Skylab 3 command module during the ‘fly around’ inspection prior to docking. 28 July 1973.”
16
Astronauts celebrate Thanksgiving aboard the Skylab, 1973.
17
A glimpse at the space station during Skylab 4.
18
“In 1973, as a prank to the Skylab 4 astronauts, the Skylab 3 crew left behind three of these dummies aboard the space station.”
19
“Skylab as photographed by its departing final crew, 1974.”
20
“In 1979 the Skylab space station was meant to fall harmlessly to Earth in the Ocean. Instead it crashed near Esperance in Western Australia. The US State Department received a $400 fine for littering.”
21
“The Western Australian town of Esperance fined NASA $400 for littering after the Skylab space station fell to earth in 1979. 17-year-old Stan Thorton pocketed $10,000 for presenting his found piece of the station to the San Francisco Examiner.”
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