NASA SKYLAB (1st Space Station) #1529 Plate Block of 4 x 10¢ US Postage Stamps

On May 14 1974 in Houston TX, the USPS celebrated the first anniversary of NASA's launching of Skylab 1, the first orbiting space laboratory. Skylab was the United States' first space station, and the second space station visited by a human crew. It was also the only space station NASA launched alone. The 100-ton space station was in Earth's orbit from 1973 to 1979 and it was visited by crews three times in 1973 and 1974. Skylab 1 included a laboratory for studying the effects of microgravity and the Apollo Telescope Mount solar observatory. Severe damage was sustained during launch, as was successfully repaired during a spacewalk, as depicted here in this stamp. After 171 days in space, Skylab 1 returned to Earth in 1979, with about 94,000 frames of film and 100,000 feet of tape for space researchers to study. The commemorative stamp reflects initial repairs to the station, including the parasol sunshade.