The Skylab crew blasts off on the Saturn IB SA-206; one of their tasks is to fix the defective solar panel. Pete Conrad, who had already been on Gemini 5, Gemini 11, and Apollo 12, also participates in the first manned mission to Skylab, alongside Joseph Kerwin and Paul Weitz, in May 1973. At 360 m3, it was only slightly larger than the subsequent Soviet MIR. When the manned Skylab-2 mission completes its rendezvous with Skylab-1 (unmanned), they immediately realize that something has gone terribly wrong on the station: one of the two panels was torn during automatic deployment, the other is stuck and has not deployed, and the micrometeoroid shield is damaged. In Houston, they despair of saving the space station, but Pete Conrad loses patience: “Just get me up there, goddamn it!” After several hours of EVA, they manage to install a heat shield. Pete’s scream when they reopen the solar panel… WHOO-YAA! In Houston, they say he’s traveling to God himself on the other side of the Big Bang… When they enter, the temperature had already risen to 55°C, but it immediately begins to drop. The three astronauts remain on board for a record-breaking 28 days. The previous record (23 days) was held by Soyuz-11. However, all three cosmonauts die upon reentry due to the depressurization of their Soyuz. Pete also sets the record for cycling around the world in just 90 minutes! Skylab also has excellent restrooms, and even a shower.
