Skylab was America's first space station. Launched in 1973, its mission was to prove that humans could live and work in space for long periods of time, and to study the sun.

During Skylab's launch, the meteoroid shield ripped loose, causing several serious problems with the two solar panel arrays. Skylab achieved orbit, but was without power. After ten days of hard work, the first astronauts were launched into space to rescue Skylab. Their repairs saved Skylab, proving that humans could do difficult work in space.

Three crews lived in Skylab, the last for three months. Many experiments studied how humans adapted to weightlessness. Skylab astronauts tested exercise bicycles and treadmills, tried new foods, and photographed the Sun. The Skylab program made many important discoveries about living in space and paved the way for future space programs such as the Space Shuttle and the International Space Station.

Learn more about Skylab at NASA's Space History Web site.

Skylab photographs courtesy NASA