CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – At the Kennedy Space Center's Apollo/Saturn V Center, former NASA astronaut Jack Lousma speaks to guests at the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation's event celebrating the 40th anniversary of Skylab. Lousma served as pilot on Skylab 3, the second piloted mission to the space station. Lousma went on to command a mission of the space shuttle. The gala commemorating the 40th anniversary of Skylab included six of the nine astronauts who flew missions to America's first space station. The orbiting laboratory was launched unpiloted from Kennedy on May 14, 1973. Between May 25, 1973 and Feb. 8, 1974, crews of three spent 28, 59 and 84 days living and working in low-Earth orbit aboard the station. For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/skylab/ Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – At the Kennedy Space Center's Apollo/Saturn V Center, former NASA astronauts William Thornton, left, and Karol Bobko recall experiences during the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation's event celebrating the 40th anniversary of Skylab. Along with astronaut Robert Crippen, Thornton, and Bobko, took part in a 56-day activity during 1972 called SMEAT -- Skylab Medical Experiment Altitude Test -- that preceded the launch of Skylab and helped NASA evaluate equipment and procedures proposed for the long-duration Skylab missions. Thornton and Bobko went on to fly missions during the Space Shuttle Program. The gala commemorating the 40th anniversary of Skylab included six of the nine astronauts who flew missions to America's first space station. The orbiting laboratory was launched unpiloted from Kennedy on May 14, 1973. Between May 25, 1973 and Feb. 8, 1974, crews of three spent 28, 59 and 84 days living and working in low-Earth orbit aboard the station. For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/skylab/ Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Astronaut Scholarship Foundation guests at the Kennedy Space Center's Apollo/Saturn V Center listen as Skylab era astronauts celebrate the 40th anniversary of Skylab. The gala commemorating the 40th anniversary of Skylab included six of the nine astronauts who flew missions to America's first space station. The orbiting laboratory was launched unpiloted from Kennedy on May 14, 1973. Between May 25, 1973 and Feb. 8, 1974, crews of three spent 28, 59 and 84 days living and working in low-Earth orbit aboard the station. For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/skylab/ Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – At the Kennedy Space Center's Apollo/Saturn V Center, former NASA astronaut Gerald Carr speaks to guests at the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation's event celebrating the 40th anniversary of Skylab. Carr served as commander of Skylab 4, the third piloted mission to the space station. The gala commemorating the 40th anniversary of Skylab included six of the nine astronauts who flew missions to America's first space station. The orbiting laboratory was launched unpiloted from Kennedy on May 14, 1973. Between May 25, 1973 and Feb. 8, 1974, crews of three spent 28, 59 and 84 days living and working in low-Earth orbit aboard the station. For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/skylab/ Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – At the Kennedy Space Center's Apollo/Saturn V Center, former NASA astronaut Edward Gibson speaks to guests at the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation's event celebrating the 40th anniversary of Skylab. Gibson served as science pilot on Skylab 4, the third piloted mission to the space station. The gala commemorating the 40th anniversary of Skylab included six of the nine astronauts who flew missions to America's first space station. The orbiting laboratory was launched unpiloted from Kennedy on May 14, 1973. Between May 25, 1973 and Feb. 8, 1974, crews of three spent 28, 59 and 84 days living and working in low-Earth orbit aboard the station. For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/skylab/ Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – At the Kennedy Space Center's Apollo/Saturn V Center, former NASA astronaut William Thornton speaks to guests at the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation's event celebrating the 40th anniversary of Skylab. Thornton, along with astronauts Robert Crippen and Karol Bobko, took part in a 56-day activity during 1972 called SMEAT -- Skylab Medical Experiment Altitude Test -- that preceded the launch of Skylab and helped NASA evaluate equipment and procedures proposed for the long-duration Skylab missions. Thornton went on to fly missions during the Space Shuttle Program. The gala commemorating the 40th anniversary of Skylab included six of the nine astronauts who flew missions to America's first space station. The orbiting laboratory was launched unpiloted from Kennedy on May 14, 1973. Between May 25, 1973 and Feb. 8, 1974, crews of three spent 28, 59 and 84 days living and working in low-Earth orbit aboard the station. For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/skylab/ Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – At the Kennedy Space Center's Apollo/Saturn V Center, former NASA astronaut Robert Crippen speaks to guests at the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation's event celebrating the 40th anniversary of Skylab. Crippen, along with astronauts William Thornton and Karol Bobko, took part in a 56-day activity during 1972 called SMEAT -- Skylab Medical Experiment Altitude Test -- that preceded the launch of Skylab and helped NASA evaluate equipment and procedures proposed for the long-duration Skylab missions. Crippen went on to fly missions during the Space Shuttle Program and served as center director at Kennedy from January 1992 until January 1995. The gala commemorating the 40th anniversary of Skylab included six of the nine astronauts who flew missions to America's first space station. The orbiting laboratory was launched unpiloted from Kennedy on May 14, 1973. Between May 25, 1973 and Feb. 8, 1974, crews of three spent 28, 59 and 84 days living and working in low-Earth orbit aboard the station. For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/skylab/ Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – At the Kennedy Space Center's Apollo/Saturn V Center, former NASA astronaut William Pogue speaks to guests at the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation's event celebrating the 40th anniversary of Skylab. Pogue served as pilot on Skylab 4, the third piloted mission to the space station. The gala commemorating the 40th anniversary of Skylab included six of the nine astronauts who flew missions to America's first space station. The orbiting laboratory was launched unpiloted from Kennedy on May 14, 1973. Between May 25, 1973 and Feb. 8, 1974, crews of three spent 28, 59 and 84 days living and working in low-Earth orbit aboard the station. For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/skylab/ Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – At the Kennedy Space Center's Apollo/Saturn V Center, former NASA astronaut Karol Bobko speaks to guests at the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation's event celebrating the 40th anniversary of Skylab. Bobko, along with astronauts Robert Crippen and William Thornton, took part in a 56-day activity during 1972 called SMEAT -- Skylab Medical Experiment Altitude Test -- that preceded the launch of Skylab and helped NASA evaluate equipment and procedures proposed for the long-duration Skylab missions. Bobko went on to fly missions during the Space Shuttle Program. The gala commemorating the 40th anniversary of Skylab included six of the nine astronauts who flew missions to America's first space station. The orbiting laboratory was launched unpiloted from Kennedy on May 14, 1973. Between May 25, 1973 and Feb. 8, 1974, crews of three spent 28, 59 and 84 days living and working in low-Earth orbit aboard the station. For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/skylab/ Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – At the Kennedy Space Center's Apollo/Saturn V Center, former NASA astronauts, from the left, Vance Brand, William Thornton and Karol Bobko recall experiences during the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation's event celebrating the 40th anniversary of Skylab. Each went on to fly missions during the Space Shuttle Program. Brand was also pilot on the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project. The gala commemorating the 40th anniversary of Skylab included six of the nine astronauts who flew missions to America's first space station. The orbiting laboratory was launched unpiloted from Kennedy on May 14, 1973. Between May 25, 1973 and Feb. 8, 1974, crews of three spent 28, 59 and 84 days living and working in low-Earth orbit aboard the station. For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/skylab/ Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – At the Kennedy Space Center's Apollo/Saturn V Center, former NASA astronaut Paul Weitz speaks to guests at the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation's event celebrating the 40th anniversary of Skylab. Weitz served as pilot on Skylab 2, the first piloted mission to the space station. Weitz went on to fly missions aboard the space shuttle. The gala commemorating the 40th anniversary of Skylab included six of the nine astronauts who flew missions to America's first space station. The orbiting laboratory was launched unpiloted from Kennedy on May 14, 1973. Between May 25, 1973 and Feb. 8, 1974, crews of three spent 28, 59 and 84 days living and working in low-Earth orbit aboard the station. For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/skylab/ Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – At the Kennedy Space Center's Apollo/Saturn V Center Bob Cabana, Kennedy's director, right, speaks with Skylab 2 pilot Paul Weitz during an event sponsored by the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation celebrating the 40th anniversary of Skylab. Both astronauts also flew missions during the Space Shuttle Program. The gala commemorating the 40th anniversary of Skylab included six of the nine astronauts who flew missions to America's first space station. The orbiting laboratory was launched unpiloted from Kennedy on May 14, 1973. Between May 25, 1973 and Feb. 8, 1974, crews of three spent 28, 59 and 84 days living and working in low-Earth orbit aboard the station. For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/skylab/ Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – At the Kennedy Space Center's Apollo/Saturn V Center, former NASA astronaut Vance Brand speaks to guests at the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation's event celebrating the 40th anniversary of Skylab. Brand, along with astronaut Don Lind, were prepared to fly a mission to rescue a Skylab crew if their Apollo command-service module was unusable. Brand went on to fly as pilot on the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project and missions aboard the space shuttle. The gala commemorating the 40th anniversary of Skylab included six of the nine astronauts who flew missions to America's first space station. The orbiting laboratory was launched unpiloted from Kennedy on May 14, 1973. Between May 25, 1973 and Feb. 8, 1974, crews of three spent 28, 59 and 84 days living and working in low-Earth orbit aboard the station. For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/skylab/ Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – At the Kennedy Space Center's Apollo/Saturn V Center, Skylab astronauts, from the left, Paul Weitz, Alan Bean, Jack Lousma, Gerald Carr, William Pogue and Edward Gibson recall experiences during the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation's event celebrating the 40th anniversary of Skylab. The gala commemorating the 40th anniversary of Skylab included six of the nine astronauts who flew missions to America's first space station. The orbiting laboratory was launched unpiloted from Kennedy on May 14, 1973. Between May 25, 1973 and Feb. 8, 1974, crews of three spent 28, 59 and 84 days living and working in low-Earth orbit aboard the station. For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/skylab/ Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – At the Kennedy Space Center's Apollo/Saturn V Center, former NASA astronaut Alan Bean speaks to guests at the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation's event celebrating the 40th anniversary of Skylab. Bean served as commander of Skylab 3, the second piloted mission to the space station. In 1969, Bean was lunar module pilot on Apollo 12, the second mission to land on the moon. The gala commemorating the 40th anniversary of Skylab included six of the nine astronauts who flew missions to America's first space station. The orbiting laboratory was launched unpiloted from Kennedy on May 14, 1973. Between May 25, 1973 and Feb. 8, 1974, crews of three spent 28, 59 and 84 days living and working in low-Earth orbit aboard the station. For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/skylab/ Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Astronaut Scholarship Foundation guests at the Kennedy Space Center's Apollo/Saturn V Center listen as Skylab era astronauts celebrate the 40th anniversary of Skylab. The gala commemorating the 40th anniversary of Skylab included six of the nine astronauts who flew missions to America's first space station. The orbiting laboratory was launched unpiloted from Kennedy on May 14, 1973. Between May 25, 1973 and Feb. 8, 1974, crews of three spent 28, 59 and 84 days living and working in low-Earth orbit aboard the station. For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/skylab/ Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett