Skylab 5
Mission
Original archive entry. The text, images and links below are kept as they were written.
Credit: Manufacturer Image
After completion of the three programmed Skylab flights, NASA considered using the remaining backup Saturn IB and Apollo CSM to fly a fourth manned mission to Skylab. It would have been a short 20 day mission - the CSM systems would not have powered down.
Main objective would be to conduct some new scientific experiments and boost Skylab into a higher orbit for later use by the shuttle. The marginal cost of such a mission would have been incredibly low; but NASA was confident that Skylab would stay in orbit until shuttle flights began in 1978 - 1979. But the shuttle was delayed, and faster atmospheric decay than expected resulted in Skylab crashing to earth before the first shuttle mission was flown.
More at: Skylab 5.
Related
- Spacecraft
- Apollo CSM
Chronology
1 event
1974 April
- Skylab 5 (cancelled) - .
Crew: Brand,
Lenoir,
Lind.
Nation: USA.
Related Persons: Brand,
Lenoir,
Lind.
Program: Skylab.
Flight: Skylab 5.
Spacecraft: Apollo CSM.
After completion of the three programmed Skylab flights, NASA considered using the remaining backup Saturn IB and Apollo CSM to fly a fourth manned mission to Skylab. It would have been a short 20 day mission to conduct some new scientific experiments and boost Skylab into a higher orbit for later use by the shuttle. But NASA was confident that Skylab would stay in orbit until shuttle flights began in 1978 - 1979. But the shuttle was delayed, and Skylab crashed to earth before the first shuttle mission was flown.