Skylab: the forgotten missions

Abstract

The Skylab program featured three manned missions to America's first and only space station from May 1973 to February 1974. A total of nine astronauts, including one scientist each mission, flew aboard the orbital workshop. Since the Skylab missions contained major goals including science and research in the space environment, the majority of publications dealing with the subject focus on those aspects. This thesis intends to focus, rather, on the human elements of the three manned missions. By incorporating not only books, but also oral histories and interviews with the actual participants, this work contains a more holistic approach and viewpoint. Beginning with a brief history of the development of a space station, this document also follows the path of the nine astronauts to their acceptance into the program. Descriptions of the transition period for NASA from the Moon to a space station, a discussion on the main events of all the missions, and finally a look at the transition to the new space shuttle comprise a major part of the body. This document also analyzes the place of Skylab in the history of NASA.