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In 1973, Skylab, America's first space station, was launched
aboard a two-stage Saturn V vehicle. Saturn IB rockets were
used to launch three different three-man crews to the Skylab
space station. |
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The final launch of a Saturn rocket came on July 15, 1975,
as part of the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project. Earlier that day,
a Russian Soyuz spacecraft lifted off its launchpad at a Soviet
launch site carrying three cosmonauts. Seven and one-half hours
later, the U.S. Apollo spacecraft was launched with its crew
of American astronauts. Rendezvous and docking of the two ships
were accomplished on July 17. The two ships remained docked
for 2 days, conducting joint experiments and exchanging national
mementos. |
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The Saturn launch vehicles, the Lunar Roving Vehicle, Skylab,
and the MSFC participation in the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project
provided the Marshall Center with experience in diversified
areas of expertise. The development of the High Energy Astronomy
Observatories further demonstrated the Center's diverse capabilities.
Launched in 1977, 1978, and 1979, the three HEAO satellites
added greatly to the body of scientific knowledge about the
universe. They provided a new perspective and understanding
of cosmic, gamma, and x-rays in space. |
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The Apollo program demonstrated that men could travel into
space, perform useful tasks there, and return safely to Earth.
But space had to be more accessible. This lead to the development
of the Space Shuttle. |
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A new era in space flight began on April 12, 1981. That's
when the first Space Shuttle mission was launched. The Marshall
Space Flight Center developed the propulsion system for the
Shuttle. |
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The Shuttle was designed to carry large payloads into Earth
orbit. One of the most important payloads is Spacelab managed
by the Marshall Space Flight Center. Spacelab serves as a small
but well-equipped laboratory in space to perform experiments
in zero-gravity and make astronomical observations above the
Earth's obscuring atmosphere. |
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The Shuttle also provides a new capability to repair or service
spacecraft in orbit. For example, spacewalking astronauts successfully
completed repairs and upgrades to the Hubble Space Telescope
in 1993. Today, the telescope, developed by the Marshall Space
Flight Center, is returning unprecedented views of the universe. |
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The world of rocketry and space exploration has deep roots
in the past. Today the dream of human advancement into the heavens
has turned to reality. |
