Rocket launches in1973

NASA launches Skylab in May — America's first space station, built from a converted Saturn V upper stage — and sends three crews up through the year, the first of them carrying out emergency repairs after the thermal shield was torn off at launch. The Soviet station programme stalls as both Salyut 2 and a replacement station fail in orbit, while Pioneer 11 departs for Jupiter in April on an Atlas-Centaur.