Skylab was America's first experimental space station.
Designed for a long duration mission, Skylab program objectives
were twofold: The first was to prove that humans could live and
work in space for extended periods. The second was to expand our
knowledge of solar astronomy well beyond Earth-based observations.
Skylab as successful in all respects . Despite early mechanical
difficulties, three three-man crews occupied the Skylab workshop
for a total of 171 days, 13 hours. It was the site of nearly 300
scientific and technical experiments: medical experiments on humans'
adaptability to zero gravity, solar observations, and detailed Earth
resources experiments. The empty Skylab spacecraft returned to Earth
July 11, 1979 scattering debris over the Indian Ocean and the sparsely
settled region of Western Australia.
The three films that make up the Skylab collection
have a total run time of 1 hour 28 minutes.
The first film is "Skylab - The First 40 Days." This
film explores the early days of Skylab, detailing the challenges
and mechanical issues the first crew experienced and what steps
they took to overcome these difficulties and survive for the duration
of the mission.
Here are some films clips of Skylab - The First 40
Days:
