skylab 2 first manned mission

8/6/2019 Skylab 2 First Manned Mission

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SKYLAB 2 ft 70FIRST MANNED MISSION

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The CrewCommander - Charles "~Pate" Conrad, Jr. (Captain, USN)Science Pilot -- Joseph P. Kerwin (Coummander, MC, USN)Pilot -- Paul J. Weitz (Commander, USN)Mission Duration -- 28 days, 49 minutes

Mission EventsLaunch:

May 25, 1973, 9:00 AM EDT, from Pad 39-B, Kennedy SpaceCenter, Florida, aboard a Saturn IB launch vehicle.Orbit Insertion:

9:10 AM EDT. Began station keeping at 4:30 PM, conducteda fly..around to inspect damage and soft docked at 5:56 PM.Stand-up EVA:

Undocked and conducted stand-up EVA from 6:45 to 7:00 PM.unable to deploy solar array.-more-

July 6, 1973


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Dock: Hard docked with Skylab at 11:50 PMafter at least 5 attempts. Crew re-ported one workshop solar wing totallygone and the other slightly deployed,hampered by a metal strap. Also re-ported that the meteoroid shield wasgone with the exposed gold thermalmaterial badly discolored.Parasol Deployment: Entared OWS at 3:30 PM EDT on May 26and began preparations for parasoldeployment. Parasol deployment completedat 7:30 PM after which spacecraft ex-ternal and internal temperatures beganto drop.Workshop activation: Began equipment transfer and storage andrartial activation of some experimentson May 27. Completed activation of mostexperiments on May 28 and on May 29,everything turned on for first time(checked out EREP and ATM).SAS Deployment EVA: On June 7, Cdr. Conrad and SPT Kerwinperformed an EVA to free the undeployed

OWS solar array. The hatch was openedat 11:15 AM EDT and at 2:01 PM Conradreported that the strap restraining thesolar wing had been cut, the beam wasfully deployed and the three panelswere beginning to deploy. After openinga door on the SOS4 experiment and inspect-ing Quad 4 of the CSM, the hatch wasclosed at 2:40 PM completing a 3 :'.ourand 25 minute EVA. By 8:58 PM all SASsolar power sections were deployed andthe power crisis had abatedEndurance Record: Early on the morning of June 18 at 3:22AM EDT the Skylab 2 crew broke the spaceflight record of the Soviet Soyuz 11flight of 570 hours and 23 minutes setin June 1971.

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-3-Film Retrieval EVA: On June 19 at 6:53, the hatch of Skylabwas opened once more and Cdr. Conradand Pilot Weitz exited the space station.Conrad's first task was to hit the failedCBRM 15 with a hammer. After hittingthe battery, it began producing anadditional 240 watts of power. Conradthen retrieved film from the ATM and de-ployed a sample of the parasol materialfor comparison purposes. Estimated timeof closing hatch was 8:29 AM.Re entry: On June 22 at 4:55 AM EDT the Skylab crewundocked from the space station and dida series of burns to achieve the correctorbit for reentry. At 9:40 AM, the primaryrecovery ship, USS Ticonderoga gainedradar contact with the spacecraft. At9:49 AM Skylab 2 splashed down 6 milesfrom the recovery ship, 820 miles south-west of San Diego in the Pacific Ocean.At 10:28, the spacecraft with crew wasaboard the Ticonderoga.

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NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATIONWASHINGTW, D.C..

SIOGWAPHICAL DATANAME: Paul Joseph Weitz (Commander, USN)NASA Astronaut

. ; BIRTHPLACE AND DATE: Born in Erie, Pennsylvania, on July 25, 1932.His mother, Mrs. Violet Martin, now resides in Norfolk, Virginia.PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: Blond hair; blue eyes; height: 5 feet 10 inches;weight: 180 pounds.EDUCATION: Attended McKinley Elementary School in Erie, Pennsylvania,and Harborcreek High School in Harborcreek, Pennsylvania;received a Bachelor of Science degree in Aeronautical Engineeringfrom Pennsylvania State University in 1954 and a Master'sdegree in Aeronautical Engineering from the U.S. Naval Post-graduate School in Monterey, California, in 1964.MARITAL STATUS: Married to the former Suzanne M. Berry of Harborcreek,Pennsylvania; her father is Mr. John H. Berr .CHILDREN: Matthew J., September 23, 1958; Cynthia A., September 25, 1961.RECREATIONAL INTERESTS: Hunting and fishing are amoung his hobbies.SPECIAL HONORS: Recipient of the Air Medal (5 awards) and the NavyCommendation Medal for combat flights in Viet Nam.EXPERIENCE: Weitz received his commission as an Ensign through theNROTC program at Pennsylvania State University and, upon graduationin 1954, was assigned to USS John A. Bole (DD-755) as CIC Officer.After having served in this capacity for one year, he attendedflight training and was awarded his wings in September 1956.

He was an A-4 Tactics Instructor with VA-44 at the Naval AirStation in Jacksonville, Florida, from 1956 to 1960, and aproject officer for various air-to-ground delivery tacticsprojects while on duty with VX-5 at China Lake, California,from September 1960 to June 1962. He completed the next twoyears at the U.S. Naval Postgraduate School and was then assignedto VAH-4 at the Naval Air Station in Whidbey, Washington, inJune 1964. It was during this tour of duty, while serving asa detachment officer-in-charge, that announcement was made ofhis selection to the astronaut training program.He has logged more than 3,900 hours flying time -- 3,400 hoursin jet aircraft.

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E CURRENT ASSIGNMENT: Commander Weitz is one of the 19 astronautsselected by NASA in April 1966. He served as a member ofI the astronaut support crew for Apollo 12.

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NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATIONWASNIMGTO, D.C. US4

BIOGRAPHICAL DATA

NAME: Joseph P. Kerwi:. (Commander, MC, USN)NASA Aatronaut

BIRTHPLACE AND DATE: Born February 19, 1932, in Oak Pa'rk, Illinois.His parents, Mr. and Mrs. Edward M. Kerwin, are residents ofChicago, Illinois.

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: Brown hair; blue eyes; height: 6 feet; weight170 pounds.EDUCATION: Graduated from Fenwick High School, Oak Park, Illinois,in 1949; received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Philosophy

from College of the Holy Cross, Worcestet, Massachusetts, in1953; a Doctor of Medicine degree from Northwestern Universi-ty Medical School, Chicago, Illinois, in 1957; completed intern-ship at the District of Columbia General Hospital in Washington,D.C.; and attended the U.S. Navy School of Aviation Medicineat Pensacola, Florida.

MARITAL STATUS: Married to the former Shirley Ann Good of Danville,Pennsylvania. Her parents, Mr. and Mrs. George D. Good, residein Danville.

CHILDREN: Sharon, September 14, 1963; Joanna, January 5, 1966;Kristina, May 4, 1968.RECREATIONAL INTERESTS: His hobbies are reading and classical music.ORGANIZATIONS; Fellow of the Aerospace Medical Association; and member

of the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association, and Phi Beta Pi.SPECIAL HONORS: Awarded the MSC Certificate of Commendation (1970).EXPERIENCE: Kerwin, a Commander, has been in the Navy Medical Corps

since July 1958. Prior to becoming a naval aviator, he servedtwo years as flight surgeon with Marine Air Group 14 at CherryPoint, North Carolina. He earned his pilot's wings at Beeville,Texas, in 1962.

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-7-He then became flight surgeon for Fighter Squadron 101 atOceana Nlaval Air Station, Virginia Beach, Virginia, and wassubsequently assigned as staff flight surgeon for Air WingFour at the Naval Air Station, Cecil Field, Florida.He has logged 2,noo hours flying time -- 1,800 hours in jetaircraft.

CURRENT ASSIGNMENT: Commander Kerwin was selected as a scientist-astronaut by NASA in June 1965.

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NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATIONWASNIOTON, D.C. 205"

BIOGRAPHICAL DATA

NAME: Charles Conrad, Jr. (Captain, USN)NASA AstronautBIRTHPLACE AND DATE: Born on June 2, 1930, in Philadelphia,Pennsylvania.PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: Blond hair; blue eyesi height: 5 feet6 1/2 inches; weight: 145 pounds.EDUCATION: Attended primary and secondary schools in Haverford,Pennsylvania, and New Lebanon, Now York received a Bachelorof Science degree in Aeronautical Engineering from PrincetonUniversity in 1953, an Honorary Master of Arts degree fromPrinceton in 1966, an Honorary Doctorate of Laws degree fromLincoln-Weslyan University in 1970, and an Honorary Doctorateof Science from Kings CoLlege, Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania,in 1971.MARITAL STATUS: Married to the former Jane DuBose of Uvalde, Texaslher parents, Mr. and Mrs. W. 0. DuBose, reside in Uvalde.CHILDREN: Peter, December 24, 1954; Thomas, May 3, 1957; Andrew,April 30, 19591 Christopher, November 26, 1960.RECREATIONAL INTERESTS: His hobbies include golf, swimming, waterskiing, and automobile racing,ORGANIZATIONS: Fellow of the American Astronautical Society, and theNew York Academy of Sciencei and Associate Fellow of theAmerican Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, and theSociety of Experimental Test Pilots.SPECIAL HONORS: Awarded the NASA Distinguished Service Medal, twoNASA Exceptional Service Medals, the Navy Astronaut Wings,the Navy Distinguished Service Medal, and two DistinguishedFlying Crosses; recipient of Princeton's Distinguished AlumnusAward for 1965, the U.S. Jayceets 10 Outstanding Young MenAward in 1965, the American Astronautical Society FlightAchievement Award for 1966, Pennsylvania's Award for Excellencein Science and Technology in 1967 and 1969, the Rear AdmiralWilliam S. Parsons Award for Scientific and Technical Progressin 1970, the Godfrey L. Cabot Award in 1970, the Silver Medalof the Union League of Philadelphia in 1970, the FAI Yuri GagarinGold Space Medal and the De La Vaulx Medal in 1970, and theNational Academy of Television Arts and Science Special TrusteesAward in 1970.

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EXPERIENCE: Conrad entered the Navy following graduation fromPrinceton University and became a naval aviator. He attendedthe Navy Test Pilot School at Patuxent River, Maryland, andupon completing that course of instruction was assigned as aproject test pilot in the armaments test division there. Healio served at Patuxent as a flight instructor and performanceengineer at the Test Pilot School.He has logged more than 6,000 hours flight time, with morethan 4,800 hours in jet aircraft.

CURRENT ASSIGNMENT: Captain Conrad was selected as an astronaut byNASA in September 1962. In August 1965, he served as pilot onthe 8-day Gemini 5 flight. He and command pilot Gordon Cooperwere launched into earth orbit on August 21, and proceeded toestablish a spane endurance record of 190 hours and 56 minutes.The flight, which lasted 120 revolutions and covered a totaldistance of 3,312,993 statute miles, was terminated on AugustAugust 29, 1965. It was also on this flight that theUnited States took over the lead in man hours in space.On September 12, 1966, Conrad occupied the command pilot seatfor the 3-day Gemini 11 mission. He executed orbital maneuversto rendezvous and dock in less than ona orbit with a previouslylaunched Agena and piloted Gemini 11 through two periods ofextravehicular activity performed by pilot Richard Gordon.Other highlights of the flight included the retrieval of anuclear emulsion experiment package during the first EVA: theestablishment of a new world space altitude record of 850statute miles, the completion of the first tethered station-keep-ing exercise, in which artificial gravity was produced; and thecompletion of the first fully automatic controlled reentry.Gemini 11 was concluded on September 15, 1966, with the space-craft landing in the Atlantic--2 1/2 miles from the primerecovery ship USS GUAM.He was subsequently assigned as the backup spacecraft commanderfor the Apollo 9 flight.

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Conrad was spacecraft commander of Apollo 12, November14-24, 1969. With him on man's second lunar landing missionwere Richard F. Gordon (command module pilot) andAlan L. Bean (lunar module pilot). In accomplishing all ofthe mission's objectives, the Apollo 12 crew executed the firstprecision lunar landing, bringing their lunarmodule, "Intre-pid," to a safe touchdown in the Moon's Ocean of Storms; andperformed the firnt lunar traverse deploying the Apollo LunarSurface Experiment Package (ALSEP), installing a nuclear powergenerator station which would provide the power source forlong-term scientific experiments, gathering geologic samplesof the lunar surface for return to earth, and completing aclose-up inspection of the Surveyor III spacecraft. Throughoutthe 31-hour lunar surface stay by Conrad and Bean,Richard Gordon remained in lunar orbit aboard the commandmodule, "Yankee Clipper," photographing landing sites for futuremissions. Apollo 12 lasted 244 hours and 36 minutes and wasconcluded 4ith a Pacific splashdown and subsequent recoveryoperations by the USS HORNET.Captain Conrad has completed three space flights, logging atotal of 506 hours and 48 minutes in space--of which 7 hoursand 45 minutes were spent in EVA on the lunar surface.

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skylab 2 first manned mission

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