Skylab Space Station Notebook

Skylab was America’s first space station. It was constructed using a spare Saturn V upper stage and launched into orbit by a Saturn V booster originally intended for a Moon landing mission. Three crews occupied Skylab between May, 1973 and February, 1974 using the Apollo command and service module. The orbital workshop featured solar arrays for power, crew accommodations including exercise equipment and a shower, and a multi-spectral solar observatory called the Apollo Telescope Mount. Following its manned operations, Skylab continued to orbit until July, 1979 when it re-entered the atmosphere and broke up over Western Australia.