Skylab: 50 Years Since the Launch of the First US Space Station

Astronaut Stephen Bowen, currently on the International Space Station, recalls seeing Skylab fly overhead as a child 50 years ago. Skylab was launched on May 14, 1973, and was the United States' first space station. Bowen is the only crew member on the ISS who is old enough to remember Skylab's launch and subsequent crewed expeditions. Unlike the ISS, Skylab was lifted into orbit by a single Saturn V rocket and suffered significant damage during launch. Despite this, the research and experience gained on Skylab set the foundation for the U.S.-led operations on the International Space Station.