Sep 22

Space Rocket History #423 – Skylab – Skylab 4 – Launch & The Vomit Bag Scandal

“As we rode, the big blue eyes of Al Shepard bored into each of us looking for any sign of weakness, any indication that one of these rookies was not ready to go. I looked back with a defiant smile, ‘Not you, Big Al, or anyone else is getting my seat!” Ed Gibson on the van ride to the pad.

Preflight Press Conference

Launch of Skylab 4

Command Mod. Docked

Sep 07

Space Rocket History #422 – Skylab – Skylab 4 – Kohoutek, Experiments, Flight Prep & Training

In space, on the day the second crew left Skylab, which was September 25, 1973, the orbital workshop began it’s third unmanned period.

Third Crew-Carr, Gibson, Pogue

Kohoutek

Third Crew Training

Aug 23

Space Rocket History #421 – Skylab – Skylab 3 – Recovery & Re-acclimation

“I felt like that mission was from my viewpoint the highlight of my career, as being the best astronaut that I could be. I felt like our crew was the best crew we could be because we had done the best we could. We got sick; we couldn’t help that. We bundled along. And then we went normally, and then we went to overdrive to catch up, and then we passed.” Alan Bean

Skylab 3 CM Hoisted on Ship. Credit SpaceFacts

Crew Fork-Lift Ride

Skylab 3 CM at National Air & Space Museum

Aug 10

Space Rocket History #420 – Skylab – Skylab 3 – De-orbit, Re-entry, & Splashdown

“The thing I remember about reentry was not positioning some RCS switches correctly. We got behind and Owen could not read my notes in the checklist because of the limited space (and my ‘unique’ penmanship). I said, ‘Give me the book, and I’ll reconfigure the switches.’ So he gave me the book; then I reconfigured a few. I had a lot of other things going on, and I didn’t reconfigure them all. About ten minutes later, we began to drift out of attitude and we got a master alarm” Alan Bean

Parachute Deployment

Frogmen Enter the Water after Splashdown

Command Module in the Pacific