Life Aboard Skylab

The words

1. Arabella

   Arabella was one of two spiders aboard Skylab 3. She and Anita spun webs in a student-designed experiment that let the crew observe how spiders adapted their behavior to weightlessness.

   NASA: Skylab 3’s crew and experiments (opens a new tab)

2. Christmas Tree

   Skylab 4’s crew celebrated Christmas in 1973 by building a tree from empty metal food containers. The improvised decoration brought a familiar holiday custom into their orbiting laboratory.

   Did you know?

   The decoration at the top of the tree was a comet fashioned from foil. It represented Comet Kohoutek, which the astronauts were also observing during their mission.

   NASA: Skylab 4’s crew and Christmas tree (opens a new tab)

3. Crew Quarters

   Skylab’s sleeping cubicles used restraints along the walls. The arrangement provided defined places for rest while keeping more of the workshop’s floor space available for other activities.

   NASA history: living and working on Skylab (opens a new tab)

4. Ergometer

   An exercise bicycle fitted with measuring instruments.

   Repeated sessions on Skylab’s ergometer let researchers measure the energy astronauts used during controlled exercise. The results helped them look for changes over the course of a mission.

   NASA history: living and working on Skylab (opens a new tab)

5. Filet Mignon

   Skylab’s food matrix listed filet mignon as a frozen dish served with a knife and fork. It belonged to a carefully documented flight menu that included both frozen and preserved foods.

   NASA report: Skylab’s frozen food menu (opens a new tab)

6. Gerald Carr

   Gerald Carr commanded Skylab 4, the station’s third and final crewed visit. He, Edward Gibson and William Pogue completed an 84-day mission that combined scientific research with daily life in orbit.

   NASA: Skylab 4’s crew and Christmas tree (opens a new tab)

7. Ice Cream

   Vanilla ice cream was one of Skylab’s frozen menu choices. NASA’s food matrix listed a spoon for eating it, alongside detailed information used to organize the station’s food supply.

   NASA report: Skylab’s frozen food menu (opens a new tab)

8. Minnows

   Two small fish aboard Skylab 3 initially swam in loops and circles. After a few days, they mostly oriented their bellies toward the dark locker door beside their seawater bag.

   NASA: Skylab’s fish in weightlessness (opens a new tab)

9. Rotating Chair

   The rotating chair was used in experiments on balance and motion responses in weightlessness. Skylab’s first crew began these tests during their first week aboard the station.

   NASA: Skylab’s wardroom and medical work (opens a new tab)

10. Shower

    Skylab’s shower used a cylindrical enclosure to contain the water around a washing astronaut. A suction system collected water and soapsuds afterward, keeping them from drifting into the station’s equipment.

    Smithsonian: Skylab’s shower (opens a new tab)

11. Skylab Three

    Skylab 3 was the station’s second crewed mission, launched on July 28, 1973. Alan Bean, Owen Garriott and Jack Lousma carried out research on the Sun, Earth and life in weightlessness.

    NASA: Skylab 3’s crew and experiments (opens a new tab)

12. Spider Web

    The web-building experiment recorded spiders’ actions inside a box. Researchers used the resulting web patterns to study how weightlessness affected behavior and the animals’ coordination.

    Did you know?

    Judith Miles, a high school student in Lexington, Massachusetts, suggested the experiment after reading about spider behavior in National Geographic. NASA flew her idea aboard Skylab 3.

    NASA: Judith Miles’s spider experiment (opens a new tab)

13. Teleprinter

    Mission Control sent daily written instructions to Skylab through a teleprinter. These printed updates complemented radio conferences in which the crew and scientists discussed upcoming experiments and their objectives.

    Did you know?

    When Gibson moved his sleeping restraint into the cooler airlock, the teleprinter shared his sleeping area. Mission Control tried to avoid using the noisy machine while he slept.

    NASA history: living and working on Skylab (opens a new tab)

14. Wardroom

    The wardroom was Skylab’s shared dining space. The first crew began eating breakfast there on May 28, 1973, and also used the room for a televised press conference.

    NASA: Skylab’s wardroom and medical work (opens a new tab)

15. Workshop

    The orbital workshop combined living quarters with scientific workspace. Its layout included sleeping cubicles, a galley and a bathroom, with an adjoining work area for experiments and equipment.

    NASA history: living and working on Skylab (opens a new tab)