2-860-706 - Heritage Space/Heritage Images

Skylab orbiting the Earth, 1970s. Launched in May 1973, Skylab was America's first experimental space station. It contained solar arrays, an observatory, laboratory, workshop and other systems. Skylab allowed humans to remain in orbit for longer than ever before and numerous studies of the sun and Earth's atmosphere were conducted from there. It fell back to Earth on July 11, 1979.