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  Skylab docking and undocking times

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Author Topic:   Skylab docking and undocking times
MSS
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Posts: 667
From: Europe
Registered: May 2003

posted 01-06-2013 11:38 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for MSS     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
There will be 40th Anniversary of Skylab station launch in May 2013. I have found at Official U.S. International Aeronautical Federation World Records the following linked duration of each mission:
  • SL-2 27 days 06 hrs 48 min 07 sec
  • SL-3 59 days 00 hrs 09 min 42 sec
  • SL-4 83 days 12 hrs 32 min 12 sec
Is it possible to obtain the exact times for each Apollo/Skylab docking/undocking moments which are common with above data? The sources give varies data... Any help appreciated.

moorouge
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posted 01-06-2013 11:50 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for moorouge   Click Here to Email moorouge     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Skylab 2 was docked for 27 days 5 hours and 5 minutes.

Skylabs 3 and 4 the best I can do is about 59 days and 83 and a half days respectively.

Curious difference for Skylab 2 as my figure was obtained in 1975 from Houston.

Tykeanaut
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posted 01-06-2013 11:52 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for Tykeanaut   Click Here to Email Tykeanaut     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Do you mean the actual times that they docked and undocked as opposed to length of time docked?

MSS
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posted 01-06-2013 12:12 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for MSS     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Yes, you are right.


Rusty B
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posted 01-06-2013 12:53 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Rusty B   Click Here to Email Rusty B     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
The difference in docked times for Skylab 2 may be because the crew first docked with the Skylab space station, didn't enter it, had dinner, then un-docked. They then attempted to free the stuck solar array and then re-docked and entered the station for the first time. They had problems in docking the second time and spent about two hours trying to dock before succeeding. This is according to newspaper accounts in the Google newspaper archive.

Rusty B
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posted 01-06-2013 01:25 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Rusty B   Click Here to Email Rusty B     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
From Skylab: A Chronology, page 309/310:
Skylab 2 - Soft Docked at 5:56 pm EDT, May 25, 1973, had dinner - Undocked at 6:45 pm EDT to attempt solar array repair, re-docked (hard docked) 11:50 pm EDT
Final Undocking time at end of mission is not listed.

Rusty B
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posted 01-06-2013 02:10 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Rusty B   Click Here to Email Rusty B     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Skylab mission report, second visit:

Skylab 3 docked at 19:32 GMT July 28, 1973, (Page 12-1; PDF page 185) Undocking 19:49:42 GMT Sep 25, 1973 (Page 12-7; PDF page 193)

MSS
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posted 01-06-2013 02:10 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for MSS     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
So according to this report and undocking time: 03:55 CDT/04:55 EDT/08:55 GMT)

SL-2 docked during 49 min (1st period) + 27 days 5 hrs 5 min (2nd period) = 27 days 5 hrs 54 min (total). So 54 mins are missing!

MSS
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posted 01-06-2013 02:15 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for MSS     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
quote:
Originally posted by Rusty B:
Skylab 3 docked at 19:32 GMT July 28, 1973, (Page 12-1; PDF page 185) Undocking 19:49:42 GMT Sep 25, 1973 (Page 12-7; PDF page 193)
According to this data SL-3 docking time total is 59 days 00 hrs 17 min 42 sec. So only 8 min too much!

Rusty B
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From: Sacramento, CA
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posted 01-06-2013 02:24 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Rusty B   Click Here to Email Rusty B     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Skylab 4 undocked at 10:28 GMT Feb 8, 1974 (exact docking time not given) according to the "Skylab mission report, third visit"

Lou Chinal
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posted 01-06-2013 02:34 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Lou Chinal   Click Here to Email Lou Chinal     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
All right since we're on the subject, I'll ask, what are the times for ASTP?

Rusty B
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posted 01-06-2013 02:34 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Rusty B   Click Here to Email Rusty B     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
According to the Lakeland Ledger newspaper, Jun 22, 1973 in the Google newspaper archive, Skylab 2 undocked (10 minutes late) at 4:55 am EDT.

According to the Schenectady Gazette newspaper, Nov 17, 1973, Skylab 4 docked at 5:01 pm EST.

Rusty B
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From: Sacramento, CA
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posted 01-06-2013 02:44 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Rusty B   Click Here to Email Rusty B     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Skylab 2 -
  • Soft Docked at 5:56 pm EDT, May 25, 1973
  • Undocked at 6:45 pm EDT
  • re-docked (hard docked) 11:50 pm EDT
  • Final undocking 4:55 am EDT, Jun 22, 1973
Skylab 3 -
  • Docked at 19:32 GMT July 28, 1973
  • Undocked 19:49:42 GMT Sep 25, 1973
Skylab 4 -
  • Docked 5:01 pm EST November 16, 1973
  • Undocked at 10:28 GMT Feb 8, 1974

MSS
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posted 01-06-2013 02:46 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for MSS     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
quote:
Originally posted by Lou Chinal:
All right since we're on the subject, I'll ask, what are the times for ASTP?
Just look at this page.

MSS
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Posts: 667
From: Europe
Registered: May 2003

posted 01-06-2013 02:51 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for MSS     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
quote:
Originally posted by Rusty B:
Skylab 4
So according to this data: SL-4 duration time is 83 days 12 hrs 27 min to compare with above is only 5 minutes too short.

Rusty B
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Posts: 239
From: Sacramento, CA
Registered: Oct 2004

posted 01-06-2013 03:14 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Rusty B   Click Here to Email Rusty B     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
With such small time differences, I wonder if some are soft docking times and some are hard docking times? It was hard enough to just find some docking times, so we will probably never know.

All times are CT (US)

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