Suggested Searches

Skylab program official emblem with image of Skylab and Earth and sun in background

Skylab

Occurred 45 years ago

Skylab, America's first space station, provided a detailed study of our planet from the incomparable vantage of orbit. Skylab served as the greatest solar observatory of its time, a microgravity lab, a medical lab, an Earth-observing facility, and, most importantly, a home away from home for its residents.

Mission Type

Space Station

Crews

3

Launch

May 14, 1973

Deorbited

July 11, 1979
Distant view of Skylab
Distant view of Skylab as the final crew departed.
NASA

Part I – The History of Skylab

From its launch on May 14, 1973, until the return of its third and final crew on Feb. 8, 1974, the Skylab program proved that humans can live and work in outer space for extended periods of time.

Learn More
View of Skylab in orbit taken as the third crew (Skylab-4) departed the space station.
This image of Skylab in orbit was taken as the third crew (Skylab-4) departed the space station after 84 days in the orbiting laboratory. A smiling Skylab seemed to wink good-bye for the job well done.
NASA
Featured Story

50 Years Ago: The Launch of Skylab, America’s First Space Station

Skylab, America’s first space station and the first crewed research laboratory in space, lifted off on May 14, 1973, on…

Read the Story

Latest Content

Stay up-to-date with the latest content from NASA as we explore the universe and discover more about our home planet.

45 Years Ago: Skylab Reenters Earth’s Atmosphere
9 min read

A few days before they left Skylab on Feb. 8, 1974, the final crew to occupy the station raised its…

Article
50 Years Ago: Skylab 4 Astronauts Return From Record-Breaking Spaceflight
13 min read

The longest spaceflight up to that time ended on Feb. 8, 1974, when Skylab 4 astronauts Gerald P. Carr, Edward…

Article
50 Years Ago: Skylab 4 Astronauts Push Past the One-Month Mark
8 min read

In December 1973, Skylab 4 astronauts Gerald P. Carr, Edward G. Gibson, and William R. Pogue passed the one-month mark…

Article
50 Years Ago: Launch of Skylab 4, The Final Mission to Skylab
12 min read

The third and final crewed mission to the Skylab space station, Skylab 4, got underway on Nov. 16, 1973, with…

Article
50 Years Ago: Skylab 3 Astronauts Splash Down after Record 59 Days in Space
9 min read

On Sept. 25, 1973, the longest human spaceflight up to that time ended with the splashdown of the Skylab 3…

Article
How the Skylab 3 Command Module Found Its Home in Cleveland
4 min read

On Sept. 25, 1973, Tim Hogan and his colleagues from the Navy’s Underwater Demolition Team leapt from a hovering helicopter…

Article
Featured Story

Space Stations

View Related Space Stations Imagery From Dream to Reality: Marshall Space Flight Center’ Role in Developing Space Stations By Tracy…

Read the Story