Saturn V Rocket (with Skylab 1)

Product Description

Saturn V Rocket (with Skylab 1) (1:400 scale)
- Skylab was launched on the 14th May 1973 by a Saturn INT-21 (a two-stage version of the Saturn V rocket) into a 235 nautical mile (435 km) orbit. The launch is sometimes referred to as Skylab 1, or SL-1. Severe damage was sustained during launch & deployment, including the loss of the station"s micrometeoroid shield/sun shade & one of its main solar panels. Debris from the lost micrometeoroid shield further complicated matters by pinning the remaining solar panel to the side of the station, preventing its deployment & thus leaving the station with a huge power deficit. The station underwent extensive repair during a spacewalk by the crew of the SL-2 mission, which launched on 25th May 1973 atop a Saturn IB. If the crew had failed to repair Skylab in time, the plastic insulation inside the station would have melted, releasing poisonous gas & making Skylab completely uninhabitable. They stayed in orbit with Skylab for 28 days. Two additional missions followed with the launch dates of 28th July 1973 (SL-3) & 16th November 1973 (SL-4) with mission durations of 59 & 84 days, respectively. The last Skylab crew returned to the Earth on 8th February 1974.