Skylab Space Station

Skylab was a Space station launched and operated by NASA and was the USA's first space station.

Skylab orbited Earth from 1973 to 1979, and included a workshop, a solar observatory, and other systems.

 It was launched unmanned by a modified Saturn V Rocket, with a weight of 150,300 pounds (68,175 kg)

Three manned expeditions - SL-2,SL-3 and SL-4 to the station, conducted between May 1973 and February 1974 using the  Apollo Command/Service Module(CSM) atop the smaller Saturn IB, each delivered a three-astronaut crew.

The first manned mission, SL-2, launched on May 25, 1973 atop a Saturn IB and involved extensive repairs to the station. 

Two additional missions followed, with the launch dates of July 28, 1973 (SL-3) and November 16, 1973 (SL-4), and mission durations of 59 and 84 days, respectively. The last Skylab crew returned to Earth on February 8, 1974.

On the last two manned missions, an additional Apollo / Saturn IB stood by ready to rescue the crew in orbit if it was needed.

Skylab orbited Earth 2,476 times during the 171 days and 13 hours of its occupation during the three manned Skylab expeditions