Skylab

Skylab was the first American space station, launched by NASA, which orbited Earth from 1973 to 1979. It was a major scientific laboratory where astronauts conducted numerous experiments in space science, including Earth observations, solar astronomy, and human physiology. Skylab served as a habitat, a workshop, and an observatory, hosting three separate three-person crews: SL-2, SL-3, and SL-4. The station was launched unmanned and was visited by crews using the Apollo command and service module launched by the Saturn IB rocket. Skylab's design allowed it to be resupplied and crewed by multiple missions, making it a precursor to modern modular space stations like the International Space Station (ISS). The station's re-entry through Earth's atmosphere in 1979, with some debris surviving and landing in Western Australia, marked the end of its operational life. In Hebrew, Skylab is known as סקיילאב. Other translations include Skylab in German, Skylab in French, and Skylab in Spanish.