  73. Closeup view of Skylab space-station cluster photographed against a black-sky background from the Skylab 3 Command Module during the “fly around” inspection prior to docking. Launched into earth orbit on May 14, 1973, Skylab was a research center that housed three-man crews on three different visits to the space station. The longest mission lasted nearly three months. Equipment and experiments on board the orbiting station were designed to accommodate four areas of research: earth observation to further knowledge of natural resources and the earth’s environment; solar observation to increase understanding of solar processes and influences on earth’s environment; study of the effects of long duration weightlessness on man, basic biological processes and adaptability to space flight conditions; and experiments in processing of materials under the unique conditions of weightlessness and vacuum environment of space. All missions were highly successful in obtaining data and photographs. Skylab consisted of four major components: the Orbital Work Shop (OWS), Airlock Module (AM). Multiple Docking Adapter (MDA), and the Apollo Telescope Mount (ATM). The cylindrical Orbital Work Shop is 15 meters (48 feet) in length and 6.5 meters (22 feet) in diameter. The workshop is divided into two major areas by an open-grid partition. By wearing special shoes, 74. Orbital Workshop crew-quarters installations.
The upper portion contains a large work-activity area, water-storage tanks, food freezers, film vaults, and experiment equipment. The Airlock Module enabled spacesuited crew members to make excursions outside the Skylab to replace or adjust equipment, change film, or carry out other extra-vehicular activities. This capability was vital to emergency repairs by the astronauts on the first mission. The Airlock Module was attached to the OWS and passage to the module was accomplished through a hatch which connected the module to the interior of the workshop. When an astronaut entered the module, he would vent the atmosphere of the module into space. When the pressure in the airlock reached zero, the crew member could open the outer hatch and float out into space. 75. Airlock Module. The Multiple Docking Adapter (MDA) was used by crews arriving or departing from the Skylab workshop. The Apollo command/service modules delivered crews to the MDA from which the astronauts could enter Skylab through the hatch in the docking port. In an emergency, two command/service modules could dock at the MDA. The MDA also held equipment for earth resources multispectral photography, materials processing, and astronomy. The Apollo Telescope Mount (ATM) was on top of and controlled by the MDA. It contained six astronomical instruments to obtain information about the Sun. 76. Multiple Docking Adapter. Solar energy is the prime source of electric power on Skylab. Two systems of solar electric-cell arrays—one wing on the OWS and four panels on the ATM—deployed after the Skylab reached orbit. Principal contractors: OWS—McDonnell Douglas Astronautics Company; AM—McDonnell Douglas Astronautics Company; MDA—Martin Marietta Aerospace. The Skylab components on display were presented to the museum by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. |
|
