spacelab
Spacelab in the Space Shuttle's payload bay
Skylab was an afterthought compared to the complex Apollo program, and indeed only saw life when the Apollo program ended early, but it was a very important part of America's space program and we still feel its impact today.
The Salyut 1 was the world's first space station, but the more successful run of the Skylab produced the model by which all subsequent space stations and their operations would utilize.
Continuing on the technology and space station lab environment,
Spacelab became a development of the early 80's and technically a continuation of the Skylab program, finding its success through 22 of the Space Shuttle's numerous missions carried up in its cargo bay.
Spacelab eventually gave way to a new space station with state-of-the-art technology, the ISS (International Space Station). Although the lab modules in the ISS are more intricate and the technology much more sophisticated, Skylab was the original and successful modular space station laboratory, and had it not been developed, the subsequent space stations may have not been the same.
The Salyut 1 was the world's first space station, but the more successful run of the Skylab produced the model by which all subsequent space stations and their operations would utilize.
Continuing on the technology and space station lab environment,
Spacelab became a development of the early 80's and technically a continuation of the Skylab program, finding its success through 22 of the Space Shuttle's numerous missions carried up in its cargo bay.
Spacelab eventually gave way to a new space station with state-of-the-art technology, the ISS (International Space Station). Although the lab modules in the ISS are more intricate and the technology much more sophisticated, Skylab was the original and successful modular space station laboratory, and had it not been developed, the subsequent space stations may have not been the same.
iss
The ISS
The ISS (International Space Station) is the latest scientific modular space station lab. The Space Shuttle has been the main transporter of crew and supplies for the entire station, with NASA footing a majority of the bill for the cost and upkeep of the station. The recent budget cuts that NASA has faced in recent years have resulted in a drastic cutback on all major development programs except for the ISS.
The Space Shuttle is the latest in this round of budget cuts for NASA, with the last shuttle to be going up in June, and no viable replacement being available, the ISS could be in jeopardy, regardless of its own budget being secure. Currently, the Space Shuttle provides the best means to ferry crew and supplies on America's end, as projects such as Constellation have been mostly cancelled due to budgetary constraints.
It would seem that we now are going through a similar phase as did Skylab, such as the ISS being the result of a collaborative international effort due to Space Station Freedom being cancelled because of budget cuts; and also like Skylab our ability to ferry up a steady supply of our own crew and supplies to the station seems to almost be at an end for the U.S. as it is still unclear if the Orion spacecraft will become a reality, and if it doesn't the Russians will have to be relied upon for future excursions, although a Soyuz craft does not have the same crew or cargo capabilites of the Space Shuttle.
The Space Shuttle is the latest in this round of budget cuts for NASA, with the last shuttle to be going up in June, and no viable replacement being available, the ISS could be in jeopardy, regardless of its own budget being secure. Currently, the Space Shuttle provides the best means to ferry crew and supplies on America's end, as projects such as Constellation have been mostly cancelled due to budgetary constraints.
It would seem that we now are going through a similar phase as did Skylab, such as the ISS being the result of a collaborative international effort due to Space Station Freedom being cancelled because of budget cuts; and also like Skylab our ability to ferry up a steady supply of our own crew and supplies to the station seems to almost be at an end for the U.S. as it is still unclear if the Orion spacecraft will become a reality, and if it doesn't the Russians will have to be relied upon for future excursions, although a Soyuz craft does not have the same crew or cargo capabilites of the Space Shuttle.
