Skylab: The First U.S. Space Station (Photos)

Skylab in Orbit 1973

Skylab astronauts took this photograph as they approached the orbiting laboratory on the the third and final mission, known as Skylab 4, in November 1973.

George Mueller Skylab Sketch

This sketch of Skylab was drawn by Dr. George E. Mueller, NASA associate administrator for Manned Space Flight. Mueller drew the sketch on August 19, 1966, during meeting at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala.

Skylab's Orbital Workshop

This photograph was taken during installation of floor grids on the upper and lower floors inside the Skylab orbital workshop at the McDonnell Douglas plant at Huntington Beach, Calif. under the direction of NASA Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala. on Jan. 1, 1970.

A Rocket Becomes a Space Habitat

In the 1970s, turning a rocket into a habitat was an affordable way for NASA to build a space station with existing hardware. Image taken Jan. 1, 1970.

Skylab Artist Concept

This illustration of Skylab shows the Apollo capsule, which was launched on a Saturn 1B rocket to ferry crews to space, docked to the multiple docking adapter, which was designed and built at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala.

Skylab Orbital Workshop From Above

This interior view of the orbital workshop upper level was visible from the airlock hatch. The octagonal opening separated the workshop's two levels. Image taken May 1, 1972

Skylab's Orbital Workshop Infographic

This cutaway view of a half of the Skylab orbital workshop shows details of the living and working quarters.

Saving Skylab

This photograph shows testing of an emergency procedure to free Skylab's meteorite-and-sun shield that had torn loose during launch, and a primary solar array that was jammed. Image taken May 1, 1973.

Showering Aboard Skylab

Astronaut Charles Conrad, Jr., Skylab 2 commander, smiles happily for the camera after a hot bath in the shower in the crew quarters of the orbital workshop of the Skylab space station. Image taken June 1, 1973.

Dinner Aboard Skylab

Astronaut Owen Garriott eats dinner in the orbital workshop crew wardroom designed and built at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala. Skylab's kitchen was equipped so that each crewman could select his own menu and prepare it to his own taste.

Astronaut Jack Lousma, Skylab Sunshade Deployment

Earth and Skylab are reflected in the gold-coated visor of Astronaut Jack Lousma during a spacewalk in which he and fellow Skylab 3 crewman Owen Garriott deployed the second sunshade. Image taken July 14, 1973.