Homesteading Space: The Skylab Story

9. High Performance

9. High Performance What is it like living in space, not just visiting for a little while but actually setting up a home and living and working there for two months? Beyond the novel and unique circumstances encountered immediately, what is day-today life like as a “resident in orbit”? In other words what is it like to “homestead space”? And, when you return to Earth, how do you hang on to an accurate memory of the unique experiences you’ve lived through? For two members of the Skylab ## crew, the best way to remember the details of their homesteading adventure was to maintain an in-flight diary. It would have to be done in the minimal time available after all the science and other work was accomplished. Yet both commander Alan Bean and science pilot Owen Garriott maintained a journal during their time on Skylab , preserving not only a chronology of mission events but also a personal record of their thoughts and impressions during their stay in space. “We launched and arrived at Skylab on July [, }u™, called Mission Day },” Garriott explained. “As you may imagine, we were pretty busy at first and even though I hoped to make entries in my in-flight diary every day, some days were just too full. Still, as I reread the entries today, now over three decades later, the mission flow and a sense of continuity remain. It was actually Mission Day k, or July ™}, before I had a chance to make my first entry.” Alan Bean wrote in his journal after going to bed at night, as a way to wind down his day. Neither of his fellow crewmembers was even aware of the existence of this diary at the time—nor, for that matter, until more than thirty-two years later when he contributed it for this book. (The excerpts from the Bean diary in this chapter have been modified with direction from Bean, for the sake of clarity. The entire diary is reproduced in unabridged form as an appendix.) Alan’s first writing was done on Day }¤ (“ August }u™), although he starts by referring back to events prior to launch: “ • |• #•5838)* Bean, MD-}: Launch Day. I am writing this in the morning of day 0U. Could not sleep, EVA today, so thought I might catch up. Slept well early tonight [the night before launch], took Seconal and hit the bed about A pm, so did Jack and Owen. Awakened on time by Al Shepard. He and Deke [Slayton] kept track of us the last few weeks more than usual. This has mixed blessings. . . . First there were the microbiological samples. Then physical. Then eat. . . . . Al Shepard rides with us in van as far as the Launch Control Center. I watched him because he held the RDZ [rendezvous] book—when he got up to get off, he forgot [to leave the book] and I had to ask. On the way he told us he was our last minute back up—he then mentioned John Glenn having his suit at the suit room prior to Al’s first flight [ready to take Al’s place]. Despite the thruster problems during their approach and rendezvous phase, the :'-™ crew was able to dock with Skylab with no further problems . The hatch was opened, and Skylab became the first spacecraft to be lived in by two different crews. Lousma described his first moments in his new space home: “I remember being in the Multiple Docking Adapter, in which everything was oriented around the circumference. And I never did figure that out for two months.” Most of the architecture in the workshop, including the lower deck used for experiment and living areas, had a normal Earth-like configuration, where there was an “up” and “down” as on the ground. But when an astronaut floated through the Airlock Module or the Multiple Docking Adapter, he was never sure what orientation to expect. It always required examination of the experiments mounted around the circumference to get in the proper position to operate the hardware. Very shortly after the crew entered the Skylab, though, a new problem arose. As they began settling into the station, the symptoms of space sickness began to be felt. Garriott, MDnk (uQ™¤ p.m. on ™} July): Writing in “mid-air”—difficult!—First day, thru rendezvous, no noticeable or unexpected symptoms, altho didn’t want much to eat. After rendezvous I began working in the MD/OWS, did notice symptoms...