Skylab 3
The second crew to inhabit Skylab, launched on July 28, 1973, spent a then record-breaking 59.5 days in space. The mission accomplished 150% of their mission goals while completing 858 revolutions of the Earth.
Mission Type
crew
Launch
SPLASHDOWN
Alan L. Bean
Mission Commander
Alan Bean was one of the third group of astronauts named by NASA in October 1963. He served as backup astronaut for the Gemini 10 and Apollo 9 missions before landing on the Moon with the Apollo 12 mission in 1969. Captain Bean has logged 1,671 hours and 45 minutes in space—of which 10 hours and 26 minutes were spent in EVAs on the Moon and in Earth orbit.
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Owen K. Garriott
Science Pilot
Owen K. Garriott, an electrical engineering professor at Stanford University, was selected as a scientist-astronaut by NASA in 1965. He logged nearly 60 days in space for Skylab 3 in 1973, and went on to fly on Space Shuttle Columbia for STS-9 (SpaceLab-1) in 1983.
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Jack R. Lousma
Pilot
Jack R. Lousma was selected as part of NASA’s Group 5 class of astronauts in April 1966 and served on the astronaut support crews for the Apollo 9, 10, and 13 missions. He went on to make two spaceflights: serving as Pilot for Skylab 3 and Commander of STS-3.
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Featured Skylab 3 Stories
Skylab 3
Skylab
In 1973 and 1974, NASA pushed the boundaries of long-duration human space missions with Skylab, America’s first space station. With three crews performing hundreds of science experiments and unprecedented observations of the Earth and the Sun, Skylab laid the foundations for the space science program on the International Space Station and for future missions to the Moon and Mars.
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