| Skylab Program Patch Skylab was the name of America's firs orbiting space station. It used hardware developed for the Apollo Moon landing including the Command Module and the
Saturn V rocket. The three crews lived on Skylab for the longest space voyages up to that time; for 28, 59, and 84 days each for a total of 117 days. Skylab traveled a total of 70.5 million miles and completed 2,476 manned orbits of the Earth.
It was the largest habitable structure ever placed into orbit. Skylab returned harmlessly to Earth on July 11, 1979 after completing 24,181 orbits. In-orbit repairs to the Skylab proved
that men can accomplish much more than programmed machines in space. It also proved that men can survive for long periods of time in space and helped pave the way for future permanent manned space stations.
| Skylab 2 (SL-3) Patch This mission was generally recognized as Skylab 2, since it was the second crew to inhabit Skylab, the orbiting work station. (The first Skylab mission was launched with no crew aboard.) However, NASA officially referred to the mission as Skylab 3. The flight established a new record for manned space flight, more than double the 28 days of the previous Skylab mission. The flight proved that signs of physical deterioration experienced by the first Skylab crew can reverse themselves over a longer period of time, except for bone calcium loss. The crew completed three, two-man EVAs and conducted more than 1,000 hours of experiments. The mission was extended to 59 days to make up for lost time when thruster controls on the Service Module malfunctioned, thus delaying the mission and threatening a safe undocking of the Command Service Module from the Orbiting Work Station. The problem was successfully resolved and the CSM landed safely in the Pacific Ocean off southern California. Launch Date: July 28, 1973 at 8:11 AM EDT Launch Vehicle: Saturn 1B Crew: Commander: Alan L. Bean, Science Pilot: Owen K. Garriott, Pilot: Jack R. Lousma
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| | Skylab 1 (SL-2) Patch Skylab 1 had the first of three crews to inhabit the orbiting space station. Since the Skylab was first launched as an unmanned Orbital Workshop, NASA officially listed this first manned mission as Skylab 2. This was the first three-man crew to stay in space for 28 days; the first repairs were made on an orbiting space station; the first occupancy of a U. S. space station and operation of its scientific instruments and life-support systems (including obtaining extensive physiological measurement data). On the 28th day, the crew re-entered the Command Module, undocked and returned to Earth, landing safely in the Pacific Ocean southwest of California. Launch Date: May 25, 1973 at 9:00 AM EDT Launch Vehicle: Saturn 1B Crew: Commander: Charles "Pete" Conrad, Science Pilot: Dr. Joseph P.Kerwin (First medical doctor in space.), Pilot: Paul J. Weitz, 
| Skylab 3 (SL-4) Patch Skyklab 3 was the third crew to inhabit the orbiting space station, but was officially named Skylab 4 to include the unmanned flight of Skylab into Earth orbit. The mission proved man can survive and function indefinitely in space if the bone calcium loss problem could be solved. The crew performed scientific experiments lasting 1,563 hours and set a new world record for time in space, 84 days, one hour and 16 minutes. The crew achieved one of their most desired objectives, full photographic coverage of a solar flare from its beginning to its full size. They also studied the comet Koboutek for 156 hours. Total distance traveled was 34.5 million miles, a new world record. Launch Date: November 16, 1973 at 9:0l AM EST Launch Vehicle: Saturn 1B Crew: Commander Pilot: Gerald P. Garr, Science Pilot: Edward D. Gibson, Pilot: William R. Pogue 
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