Aug 10

Space Rocket History #420 – Skylab – Skylab 3 – De-orbit, Re-entry, & Splashdown

Posted on August 10, 2023 by Mike Annis

“The thing I remember about reentry was not positioning some RCS switches correctly. We got behind and Owen could not read my notes in the checklist because of the limited space (and my ‘unique’ penmanship). I said, ‘Give me the book, and I’ll reconfigure the switches.’ So he gave me the book; then I reconfigured a few. I had a lot of other things going on, and I didn’t reconfigure them all. About ten minutes later, we began to drift out of attitude and we got a master alarm” Alan Bean

Parachute Deployment

Frogmen Enter the Water after Splashdown

Command Module in the Pacific

Jul 26

Space Rocket History #419 – Skylab – Skylab 3 – Those Tricky Garriotts

Posted on July 26, 2023 by Mike Annis

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“Hello Houston. Roger. Well I, haven’t talked with you for a while. Isn’t that you down there. Bob? This is Helen, here in Skylab. The boys hadn’t had a good home cooked meal in so long, I thought I’d bring one up. Over” Helen Garriott

Bean Reading Teleprinter Message.

Bean on EVA 3

Reaching For The Stars. Credit Al Bean

Jul 13

Space Rocket History #418 – Skylab – Skylab 3 – AMU, EVA 2, Space Physics, Solar Physics and Mission Extension

Posted on July 13, 2023 by Mike Annis

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On mission day 28, August 24th 1973, it was time to perform the 2nd EVA. Garriott and Lousma once again stepped outside the orbital workshop for a 4 and ½ hour spacewalk.

Lousma Tests the Astronaut Maneuvering Unit

Bean Tests the Foot Controlled Maneuvering Unit

Solar Flare Captured from Skylab

Jun 28

Space Rocket History #417 – Skylab – Skylab 3 – Maximum Effort, Determination, Efficiency, and Accomplishment

Posted on June 28, 2023 by Mike Annis

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Finally, the crew became efficient enough to get all of the work done that was scheduled for a given day. But, that did not make up for the time lost at the beginning of the mission. Reaching 100 percent efficiency was not enough for Bean.