On May 14, 1973, the United States launched Skylab into orbit, marking the beginning of its first space station project. Skylab was designed as a space laboratory where the NASA program hoped to conduct hundreds of experiments and countless hours of observation. They successfully conducted experiments in the areas of biomedical sciences, astronomy, and the human adaptation to zero gravity. They also used Skylab as a solar observatory and gathered extensive data and research on the sun. 

Skylab’s mission ended prematurely due to solar exposure and atmospheric drag. As a result, it gradually lost its orbit and began its descent toward Earth in 1978. Although there were initial plans to restore Skylab to its proper orbit, it soon became evident that these efforts would be impractical due to time and funding constraints, leading to their abandonment. Ultimately, Skylab re-entered the Earth’s atmosphere in 1979, descending rapidly and breaking apart due to intense heat and friction.

Skylab’s reentry and the resulting debris generated significant international media attention. Thousands of people watched from their homes, even placing bets on the time and location of its reentry. Skylab officially disintegrated and fell back to Earth on July 11, 1979, with debris landing in the Indian Ocean and in sparsely populated areas of Australia.

Fun Facts about Skylab: 

• The Skylab station was 118 feet long and weighed 170,000 pounds.
• Skylab had three different 3-man crews during its time in space, and these crews collectively occupied its workshop for 171 days and 13 hours.
• It was a site for over 300 technical and scientific experiments.
• It cost the United States $2.2 billion to build and maintain. 
• The mission demonstrated that people could live and research in space for months at a time.