skylab

a.. 1974 April - Cancelled: Skylab 5. Prime Crew: Brand, Lind, Lenoir.
After completion of the three programmed Skylab flights, NASA considered
using the remaining backup Saturn IB and Apollo CSM to fly a fourth manned
mission to Skylab. It would have been a short 20 day mission - the CSM
systems would not have been powered down. Main objective would be to conduct
some new scientific experiments and boost Skylab into a higher orbit for
later use by the shuttle. The marginal cost of such a mission would have
been incredibly low; but NASA was confident that Skylab would stay in orbit
until shuttle flights began in 1978 - 1979. But the shuttle was delayed, and
faster atmospheric decay than expected resulted in Skylab crashing to earth
before the first shuttle mission was flown.

01 January 1975 - Cancelled: Skylab B.

NASA realized that after the completion of the Apollo, Skylab, and ASTP
programs there would still be significant Apollo surplus hardware. This
amounted to two Saturn V and three Saturn IB boosters; one Skylab space
station, three Apollo CSM's and two Lunar Modules. After many iterations
NASA considered use of these assets for a second Skylab station in May 1973.
A range of options were considered. Saturn V SA-515 would boost the backup
Skylab station into orbit somewhere between January 1975 and April 1976. It
would serve as a space station for Apollo and Soyuz spacecraft in the
context of the Apollo ASTP mission. The Advanced or International Skylab
variants proposed use of Saturn V SA-514 to launch a second workshop module
and international payloads. This station would be serviced first by Apollo
and Soyuz, then by the space shuttle. Using the existing hardware, these
options would cost anywhere from $ 220 to $ 650 million. But funds were not
forthcoming. The decision was taken to mothball surplus hardware in August
1973. In December 1976, the boosters and spacecraft were handed over to
museums. The opportunity to launch an International Space Station, at a
tenth of the cost and twenty years earlier, was lost.

a.. 1979 Late - Cancelled: STS-2A. Prime Crew: Haise, Lousma.
In late 1977 shuttle orbital missions were due to start in 1979. The
orbiting Skylab space station was not expected to decay until 1983. A plan
to save Skylab was developed. In Phase 1a small Skylab Reboost Module would
be docked to Skylab on the second Shuttle flight. This would boost the
station to a higher orbit for later use, and also provide the capability of
deorbiting the station into empty ocean if the decision was taken to abandon
it. Astronauts Haise and Lousma were selected for this flight, and
development of the reboost module was begun. But it was not to be. Aside
from intense resistance from some factions at NASA headquarters, higher
solar activity resulted in heavier than predicted drag on Skylab. The
shuttle program also was hit with delays. Before the first shuttle flew,
Skylab burned up in the atmosphere and crashed into the Australian outback
on July 11, 1979.

It would appear that there is a still useable space station (Skylab 2) and
the booster to send it up... wonderwhat tyhe price would be for them to be
reconditioned and modernized? Play station in Space? :-)

My memory was failed regarding Shuttle mission to boost skylab with an new
engine being delayed to Challenger...it was just plain delay of First
shuttle launch , not challenger. I stand corrected and appologize for my mis
leading statement

bob

SLF.