Skylab: The History and Legacy of America’s First Space Station

During the Space Race, many people envisioned a future in which space travel would be a common undertaking for ordinary citizens. Just as riding in an airplane was once a daring endeavor, travel by rocket could be refined and made safer over time. That collective aspiration to someday take part in dreams NASA brought to life was integral to inspiring public interest in the space program. However, in the years following Apollo 11 in 1969, popular enthusiasm for space travel waned, and dreams of vacationing like the Jetsons gave way to more grounded goals. The level of interest NASA enjoyed would never again be comparable to the culturally defining moments of the agency’s most celebrated missions during the Mercury, Gemini and Apollo Programs.

Nonetheless, in 1972 and 1973, NASA sent nine astronauts to spend extended periods of time living in a craft named Skylab, the very first experimental American space station. Though Skylab would not last long, and the International Space Station remains far more famous, Skylab’s history is one of ingenuity and challenge, as well as how NASA found itself without a mission after the triumph of the Apollo Program.