{"id":2625,"date":"2023-05-14T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2023-05-14T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/fareshopbd.com\/this-day-history-may-14-1973-skylab-first-us-space-station-launched\/"},"modified":"2023-05-14T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"2023-05-14T00:00:00","slug":"this-day-history-may-14-1973-skylab-first-us-space-station-launched","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fareshopbd.com\/this-day-history-may-14-1973-skylab-first-us-space-station-launched\/","title":{"rendered":"On this day in history, May 14, 1973, Skylab, the first US space station, is launched"},"content":{"rendered":"
America’s first space station, Skylab, launched into Earth’s orbit on this day in history, May 14, 1973.<\/p>\n
The unmanned space station blasted into space<\/a> on a modified Saturn V rocket at Florida’s Kennedy Space Center, NASA’s Skylab website reports. <\/p>\n This marked the last time the Saturn V rocket was used in spaceflight, according to Space.com.<\/p>\n ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY, JULY 29, PRESIDENT EISENHOWER SIGNED BILL CREATING NASA<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n The launch of the space station was not without complications. <\/p>\n “Almost immediately, technical problems developed due to vibrations during liftoff,” said the NASA website.<\/p>\n The Saturn V rocket shown above. America’s first space station, Skylab, launched into Earth’s orbit on this day in history, May 14, 1973.<\/span> (UPI Color\/Bettmann Archive\/Getty Images)<\/span><\/p>\n “A critical meteoroid shield<\/a> ripped off, taking one of the craft’s two solar panels with it, and a piece of the shield wrapped around the other panel, keeping it from deploying,” it said. <\/p>\n To solve this problem \u2014 and to prevent Skylab’s future crew from dangerously hot temperatures due to the lack of meteoroid shield \u2014 NASA engineers “‘rolled’ Skylab to lower the temperature of the workshop,” the website also noted.<\/p>\n ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY, APRIL 25, 1990, HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE PLACED IN ORBIT BY SPACE SHUTTLE DISCOVERY<\/u><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n Skylab 2, the mission that sent Skylab its first crew, was delayed for 10 days in order to teach the astronauts<\/a> how to mitigate the damage the space station received on liftoff, said NASA. <\/p>\n Astronaut Owen Garriot seen here at the Apollo Telescope Mount console in the Multiple Docking Adapter of the Skylab space station cluster.<\/span> (NASA\/Bettmann Archive\/Getty Images)<\/span><\/p>\n Skylab finally received its first three-man crew on May 25, 1973.<\/p>\n Commander Charles “Pete” Conrad, pilot Paul J. Weitz and science pilot Joseph P. Kerwin would stay aboard Skylab for the entire 28-day mission, said NASA.<\/p>\n The crew would make history many times during their trip to space. <\/p>\n “On June 7, 1973, on their 14th day in space, Conrad and Kerwin floated out of Skylab\u2019s Airlock Module. They set up a 25-foot pole with cable cutter tool at the end that closed partway over the aluminum strap from the micrometeoroid shield that was holding down the solar array,” NASA said.<\/p>\n ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY, APRIL 17, 1970, APOLLO 13 ASTRONAUTS RETURN ALIVE, DEFY ODDS AFTER SPACE EXPLOSION<\/u><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n The two carefully went to the solar wing and attached a rope to attempt to free the stuck panels. <\/p>\n A full view of the Skylab Space Station, seen here against a black sky background. Skylab was launched into orbit on this day in history, 1973.<\/span> (NASA\/Bettmann Archive\/Getty Images)<\/span><\/p>\n “Kerwin closed the jaws on the cutter tool the rest of the way, slicing through the metal strap,” the NASA website continued. <\/p>\n “The solar wing partially opened, but its hinge had frozen in the cold of space, preventing it from fully opening.”<\/p>\n It added, “Conrad and Kerwin then both pulled on the rope to overcome the frozen hinge and the wing sprung fully open, bouncing the astronauts away \u2014 luckily their space suit tethers kept them from floating off into space.” <\/p>\n MEET THE AMERICAN WHO WROTE THE MOON-LANDING SOFTWARE: MARGARET HAMILTON, COMPUTER WHIZ AND MOM<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n The spacewalk was a success \u2014 and Conrad and Kerwin became the first astronauts to ever engage in a “repair spacewalk,” said NASA. <\/p>\n Additionally, the length of their spacewalk, three hours and 25 minutes, was a record. <\/p>\n When the three astronauts returned to Earth \u2014 28 days and 50 minutes after blast off \u2014 they had set a new record for longest human space flight, said NASA. <\/p>\n They were also the first astronauts to return alive from a mission to a space station, NASA also noted. (The crew of the Soviet space station Salyut 1, the world’s first space station, died upon re-entry.)<\/p>\n Homeowner Tom Swanner of Long Beach, California, placed a large sign with a “bulls-eye” on it to welcome Skylab home. The space station did not land on his house \u2014 but parts of it landed in the Indian Ocean and in Australia.\u00a0<\/span> (Bob Riha Jr.\/Getty Images)<\/span><\/p>\n Skylab would remain in space until July 11, 1979, when it disintegrated in Earth’s atmosphere, according to Space.com. <\/p>\n CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR LIFESTYLE NEWSLETTER<\/u><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n
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