Feb 15

Space Rocket History #408 – Skylab – Skylab 2 – Days 2-7 & 10th Anniversary Celebration

NASA’s first priority was to get Skylab back into solar inertial attitude.  This was both the coolest attitude and would point the Apollo Telescope Mount (ATM) solar arrays directly at the sun. Thus the crew would have the most electrical power possible with the solar wing still stuck.

Pete in the Lower Body Negative Pressure Experiment

Paul Uses Bicycle Ergometer

Paul at the Apollo Telescope Mount (ATM) Console

Feb 01

Space Rocket History #407 – Skylab – “We Can Fix Anything”

During the stand up EVA, Kerwin held Weitz while he pulled at the debris several times which disturbed the stability of the Skylab station and caused the Skylabs gyros to compensate. This was a big problem because it nearly pulled Weitz out of the hatch.

Parasol Deployment

Solar Wing EVA

Solar Wing EVA

Parasol Installed and Wing Extended

Jan 18

Space Rocket History #406 – Skylab – The Launch of Skylab 2

At 07:00 hours Houston time, Skylab 2 roared off its Milk Stool from LC-39B; the first Saturn IB launch in almost five years and only the second launch from Pad 39B.

Skylab 2 Crew-Kerwin, Conrad, Weitz

Launch of Skylab 2

Launch of Skylab 2

Skylab Fly Around

Skylab Fly Around Inspecting Damage

Jan 04

Space Rocket History #405 – Skylab – What Went Wrong and How Do We Fix It?

Nasa concluded that the failure of the micrometeoroid shield 63 seconds into the flight caused the breaking of the solar array system. Furthermore, at 593 seconds into the flight the second stage retro rocket plume exhaust resulted in the ripping off of the array.

How the Shield was Torn Off

Making the Sunshade

Making the Sunshade

Shade Deployment Test

Shade Deployment Test