Disassembly of mock-up for modifications (1967)

Skylab Orbital Workshop Mock-up
As built and delivered to the Marshall Spaceflight Center in Huntsville, AL.
 

Color Images:
Sheet 1

Black & White Images:
Sheet 1
 

Skylab

Skylab was the first orbiting space station built and flown by the United States.  Originally created by the Office of Manned Spaceflight which began studying post Apollo projects in 1963, Skylab would go on to become the only project to survive of those developed by the later Apollo Applications Program office (opened in 1965).  This office was charged with developing uses for Apollo hardware once the moon landing program was completed.  Inevitable budget cuts and waning public interest would force the cancellation of all such developments which would have included permanent bases on the moon and manned expeditions to Mars.  Once these programs were canceled the technical work forces were let go from the companies involved, unemployment sky rocketed, welfare demands increased and the tax base shrank.  People forgot that all the money spent to put astronauts and scientists into space was spent right here on Earth, creating jobs, funding social services (through taxes) and providing exciting fields for university students to enter after leaving school.  Why should a student spend all that time earning an advanced degree if there is no place to apply it?  Why go to school at all if one can live on welfare?  Why indeed.

The official on-line NASA history of Skylab can be found at this website: "Skylab".

Please contact Phil Broad if you have comments about these images or corrections to the information presented here via E-Mail.