Skylab, America's first space station, was launched into orbit on this day in history in 1973. The space station was damaged during liftoff, but the astronauts repaired it.
Astronaut Owen Garriot seen here at the Apollo Telescope Mount console in the Multiple Docking Adapter of the Skylab space station cluster.Commander Charles"Pete" Conrad, pilot Paul J. Weitz and science pilot Joseph P. Kerwin would stay aboard Skylab for the entire 28-day mission, said NASA."On June 7, 1973, on their 14th day in space, Conrad and Kerwin floated out of Skylab’s Airlock Module.
"Kerwin closed the jaws on the cutter tool the rest of the way, slicing through the metal strap," the NASA website continued. It added,"Conrad and Kerwin then both pulled on the rope to overcome the frozen hinge and the wing sprung fully open, bouncing the astronauts away — luckily their space suit tethers kept them from floating off into space."
They were also the first astronauts to return alive from a mission to a space station, NASA also noted.
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