Space Daily·4 min read·medium
In May 1973, Skylab reached orbit with its heat shield torn away, one solar wing gone and the other jammed, leaving America’s first space station at roughly 54°C — so engineers built a parasol in days
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Space Daily Editorial Team
✦AI Summary
In 1973, NASA engineers successfully saved the Skylab space station after a launch failure tore away its heat shield and damaged its solar arrays. The team improvised a 'parasol' cooling system that allowed the station to remain operational for the crew.
A torn heat shield left America's first space station baking in the sun—until NASA improvised a fix that would have to work on the first try.
sciencetechnology
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