Medal, Commemorative, Skylab I

This artist's proof medal commemorates the first crew to live and work aboard Skylab, a U.S. space station launched into earth orbit on May 14, 1973. Commander Charles Conrad, Jr., Science Pilot Joseph P. Kerwin, and Pilot Paul J. Weitz spent 28 days in space, from May 25 through June 22, 1973. They performed emergency repairs to install a temporary sunshield and deploy a solar array that was damaged during Skylab's launch. They also activated the laboratory and conducted a variety of experiments and investigations. Although they were the first Skylab crew, their mission was formally designated Skylab 2 (since the space station's launch was Skylab 1). One of a set of three medallions designed to honor the three Skylab crews, this medal became a part of the National Collection in 1974.