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Author
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Topic: SkyLab! What's you opinion?
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Rob Joyner Member Posts: 1308 From: GA, USA Registered: Jan 2004
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posted 02-21-2004 12:45 AM
First there was the launch of SkyLab itself and then three manned missions followed. My question is: When talking about the last manned SkyLab mission, do you refer to it as SkyLab 3 or SkyLab 4? I feel the majority of the public refer to it as #3 because it was the third manned mission, while NASA's "official" designation is #4 because it was the fourth mission in the series. I prefer to call it SkyLab 4 because of NASA's official notation and also when Ed Gibson and Bill Pogue signed my book they both added SL-4. So what's your take on this? The score so far: SkyLab 3 - 0, SkyLab 4 - 1 Rob |
DavidH Member Posts: 1217 From: Huntsville, AL, USA Registered: Jun 2003
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posted 02-21-2004 01:13 AM
My understanding is that the larger number designates the launch, and the lower one, the mission. Further, the launch number, I believe, is generally given as a digit, i.e. SL-4. The mission number, as seen on the patches, is sometimes seen as a Roman number, i.e. Skylab II, (though only the first two patches use Roman numerals). So, arguably, it's not a question of one number being right and one being wrong, the two numbers describe two different things. At the Skylab anniversary event, some of the crew had a novel approach for avoiding the confusion. The mission you refer to, Skylab III/4, they would talk about verbally as "Skylab Three-Quarters," as opposed to the first crew, "Skylab One-Half" or the second one, "Skylab Two-Thirds" As to your question, how do I refer to the third Skylab crew? I call them the third Skylab crew. That way, you know exactly who I'm talking about.------------------ "America's challenge of today has forged man's destiny of tomorrow." - Commander Eugene Cernan, Apollo 17 Mission, 11 December 1972 |
RMH Member Posts: 578 From: Ohio Registered: Mar 2001
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posted 02-21-2004 08:43 AM
The Skylab mission numbers have always confused me as well. Althogh I had never thought about it before, I think David has a keen observation about the use of Roman numerals vs digit numbers. I went back through my autograph collection and looked at what the skylab astronauts wrote as their mission numbers. Some of the astronauts used digits while others used roman numerals, But they all followed the same pattern that a roman numeral was crew order and a digit was used for launch number.This wouldn't be a problem when writing but when speaking I guess you would have to say the 3rd skylab crew or the 4th skylab mission. Thats a greats idea by the crew on how to name their mission. |
astpexhibitor unregistered
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posted 02-21-2004 09:31 AM
I think the way NASA explained it back in 1972-73 was the Skylab Workshop was considered Skylab-1, the first crew was Skylab-2, the second crew was Skylab-3 and the last crew was Skylab-4. The NASA cachets used these designations. ------------------ John Macco |
Robert Pearlman Editor Posts: 43576 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
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posted 02-21-2004 10:12 AM
Bill Pogue once replied to a cS reader's question about the naming of the Skylab missions with the essay found here: http://www.collectspace.com/resources/naming_spacecraft.html |
burnsnz Member Posts: 74 From: Auckland, New Zealand Registered: Jan 2004
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posted 03-03-2004 11:43 PM
I have a Jerry Carr Autograph and he has signed it Jerry Carr, CDR, Skylab 3 (SL-4).There you have it! I guess he would know. All the Best Burns Fallow Auckland New Zealand | |
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