Little station, big goals
NASA had multiple objectives with Skylab, which included advancing our understanding of the Earth, Sun, stars, and cosmic space, investigating the impact of weightlessness on living organisms, including humans, exploring the effects of processing and manufacturing materials in zero gravity, and conducting observations of Earth’s resources. Instruments used to observe our home planet were collectively known as the Earth Resources Experiment Package. Additionally, Skylab performed 19 experiments designed by high school students. The image above clearly shows the makeshift heat shade covering the Orbital Workshop.
