The Prime Crew for the NASA’s First Manned Skylab Mission Meet
the Press in a Final Briefing Prior to Isolation for the Coming
Launch of Skylab II, 05/01/1973 Skylab, the first American space
station, was launched unmanned on May 14, 1973. This photo is of
the prime crew for the first manned Skylab mission at a final
briefing prior to isolation for the coming launch, which
occurred on May 24, 1973. The astronauts are (L. to R.) Charles
Conrad Jr., Commander, Paul J. Weitz, Pilot, and Dr. Joseph P.
Kerwin, Science Pilot. The Space Shuttle Columbia and its seven
member crew were lost 10 years ago, on February 1, 2003. - The
space shuttle orbiter Columbia is launched for the first space
transportation system test mission, 04/12/1981 - Flowers and
homemade signs are placed at the front gate of the National
Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Ames Research Center
at Moffett Federal Airfield (MFA), Mountain View, California
(CA) in a spontaneous memorial for the Space Shuttle Columbia
(STS-107) astronauts.