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SPACE ADMINISTRATION
Washington, D. C. 20546
/ 202-755-8370
FOR RELEASE:
NovemSer 5, 1973
p PROJECT:SKYLAB
Third Manned
4 Mission
R
E contents
ACCOMPLISHMENTS .... 24
K REAL-TIME PROFILE
MISSION FLIGHT PLANNING . 25-27
28-29
COUNTDOWN 30-32
NOTE: Details of the Skylab spacecraft elements, systems,
crew equipment and experimental hardware are contained in
the Skylab News Reference distributed to the news media. The
document also defines the scientific and technical objectives
of Skylab activities. This press kit confines its scope to
the third manned visit to Skylab and briefly describes features
of the mission.
4 NATIONAL AERONAUTICSAND
SPACE ADMINISTRATION
Washington, D. C. 20546
AC 202/755-8370
FOR R(LEASE:
• November 5, 1973
Bill Pomeroy
Headquarters, Washington, D.C.
(Phone: 202/755-3114)
home planet and our life giving star, the S%In. Two earlier
59 days before "leaving the key under the mat" for the final
react as quickly.
will follow patterns set during the first two missions, with
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comets, other that the popular theory that they are like giant
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After docking with the space station, the crew will begin
taking with it one of the main solar cell arrays for generating
The jammed solar cell array was freed during an EVA and the
The second Skylab crew Was not without its share of repair
work around the space station. Alan Bean, Owen Garriott an_
become undependable.
Two repair chores are planned for the final Skylab crew.
was leaking during the second Skylab manned mission; and inspec-
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SKYLAB EXPERIMENTS
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_=
I DEC
! EXTENDED MISSION
11/11 i OPTION COVERAGE
LAUNCH 1
' "tEUROPE
i AFRICA 1/2 1/5 _-
l'a
"' 'AFRICA
i11/3.0
_._ AUSTRALIA
11/21 II 1/2
, i i , i !
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long-tei_viewing
near-perihelion viewing
astronaut response
payload optimization.
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For a few days just before and just after perihelion, the
ATM capabilities will be somewhat reduced due to the larger
Sun angles of the comet. During these intervals, however,
Kohoutek is too close to the Sun to be observed through
the workshop's anti-solar airlock. These are the times
for the astronauts to conduct EVA operations. The instruments
operated during EVA would be the T025 coronagraph and the
new S201B far ultraviolet camera. The TO25 observation
requires pointing the instrument fairlyaccurately toward
the Sun. For the S201B photography, the Skylab must be
maneuvered so that the camera is shadowed by the ATM
solar array.
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needed to photograph the hydrogen cloud that will surround
the head of the comet. Filters to isolate cometary
emissions, a UV-transmitting lens, and extra film to
support the desired high frame rates near perihelion
are among the other new items expected tO be sent up to
Skylab.
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Skylab
Mariner Venus-Mercury
Pioneer Spacecraft
Copernicus (OAO-3)
OSO-7
Sounding Rockets
Airborne Infrared Observatory and Lear-Jet
Far Infrared Balloon Program
Ground-Based Observations
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Skylab Experiments for Kohoutek Observations
CT 1
NOV 1, 1973
1
11 JAN 1
FEB 1
_ECI ,,i., (MIN ) & t,J
I.-'
1 2 SUN _,
I, 197¢ 1, 197_
1
21
F£B 1
1
I
MAR 1
COMET KOHOUTEK(1973f)
MOTION NEAR PERIHELION AS SEEN FROM THE EARTH IN A SUN_
CEWrERED REFERENCE FRAME. THE TIME SCALE ON THE COMET
TRACK IS SUBJECT TO UP-DATING WHEN AN IMPROVED ORBIT BE-
COMES AVAILABLE, HOWEVER. LOCATION AN0 ORIENTATION OF
THE T1RAC_ WILL NOT CHANGE SIGNIFICANTLY.
" *
ARC .:'
;..: ...
.:.
MIN. "_""
• %_ .* -°
0 _ **'Q'':"
70 I
60 - DEC.28 ;
50-
40-
30 - 1973 DEC.27
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Pre-Perihelion
Late September/October - Resume ground-based observations
- Recover comet
- Launch Skylab 4
- OSO-7 observations'
- Pioneer 8 measurements
- Skylab 4 splashdown
Late Post-Perihelion
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REAL-TIME
,,, ,,. , ,FLIGHT PLANNING
The normal Skylab crew worhday starts at 6 a.m. and runs until
10 p.m. CST
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For example, meal periods have been shortened from one hour
to 45 minutes, and the pre- and post-sleep periods have also been
shortened. Housekeeping chores, such as trash disposal, filter
changing and cleanup which was scheduled in the daily flight plan
on the first two missions, will 5e on the daily "shopping list"
for crew option to f_t into any slack time.
CDR POST AIM _,T PASSI PT_I ATM _/_*1 PRE SLEEP
3O
2O
-- '10
°_
_o-- '?
3O
40
60
?0
0 I0 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 tO0 IlO [20 i30 140 150 t60 170E 180W 170 160 150 140 [3,5 z2_
Longitude,
deg
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COUNTDOWN
On August ii, the CSM was moved to the VAB and erected
atop the Saturn IB. The vehicles were moved to Complex 39's
Pad B on August 14 for pad integration and final tests. A
Flight Readiness Test in preparation for the potential rescue
mission was conducted September 4-5 and launch preparations
went into a "hold" September ii at a point seven hours prior
to the scheduled loading of hypergolic propellants for the
Saturn IB's second stage auxiliary propulsion system and for
the, CSM.
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T-0 Liftoff
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The rescue CSM and its Saturn IB are scheduled for transfer
from the VAB to the launch pad in early December for pad integrat-
ion and final tests. Current scheduling calls for SL-R (the
designation of the rescue mission) to be in a launch readiness
configuration by the end of December.
The countdowns for SL-4 and SL-R are identlcal from the
T-minus 26 hour, 30 minute mark. The SL-4 launch countdown
was restructured to match the rescue countdown. Following rescue
countdown procedures during an actual launch will enhance confidence
and provide a rehearsal for the KSC launch team in the event a
rescue mission should become necessary.
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NASA/KSC NOV73
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