Skylab Cluster Configuration Model
Taking a closer look into Skylab
Exploring the intersection of spaceflight history, pop culture, and space art.
This edition of Creating Space continues the commemoration of the fiftieth anniversaries of the Skylab missions. The third and final crewed mission launched on November 16, 1973. I take an in-depth look into a large-scale contractor model depicting an early concept of what was then known as the Saturn Apollo Applications Cluster Configuration. The model is a rare and fine example of the models built by the Marshall Space Flight Center model shop during the early years of the U.S. space program.
Merch of the Month
Moonlight Dreams Acrylic Block
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Art News
My space-inspired artwork, Moonlight Dreams, continues its run as part of the Art+Flight celebration now in its sixth month at the Museum of Flight in Seattle, Washington. There are less than two months left in the celebration which runs through January 7, 2024.
I have previously rewritten about the art exhibit in the following two posts.
Art News from Moonlight Dreams post, June 4, 2023
Art News from The collectSPACE Insignia post, July 8, 2023
Art Tours
The museum has arranged special docent-led tours of the exhibition for members. The one-hour tours will focus on the recently installed artwork displayed across the galleries while sharing an artistic eye to the permanent collection.
Registration is required. To RSVP, please email the Membership Office (membership@museumofflight.org) with your name, Member number, and the total number of guests in your group.
Art+Flight Member Tours
December 16, 2023, 10:00 AM & 1:00 PM
Art+Flight is free with Museum admission.
Open Daily, 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM
Admission FREE 5:00 PM to 9:00 PM the first Thursday of every month.
The Museum of Flight is located at 9404 East Marginal Way South, Seattle, WA 98108.
Model of the Month
The model pictured here is a Saturn Apollo Applications Cluster Configuration (a.k.a. Skylab ‘Wet Workshop’).
Built by the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) model shop, the model dates back to about 1967, just two years after NASA established the Apollo Applications Program (AAP). At that time, the plan was to launch the space station in separate parts on several Saturn IB boosters and assemble them once in orbit.
The Marshall Space Flight Center had responsibility for developing and integrating most of the major components of Skylab: the Orbital Workshop (OWS), Airlock Module (AM), Multiple Docking Adapter (MDA), Apollo Telescope Mount (ATM), Payload Shroud (PS), and most of the experiments. MSFC was also responsible for providing the Saturn IB launch vehicles for three Apollo spacecraft and crews and a Saturn V launch vehicle that was ultimately used to boost the Skylab workshop.1
I have written previously about Skylab during this fiftieth anniversary year. You can find the posts here:
I was the lucky bidder willing to spend the most money on a similar model in an auction several years ago.
The model in my collection stands 32.5 inches (82.6 cm) tall including the Command and Service Module (CSM).
It has three separate components consisting of the main workshop assembly with its airlock and docking adapter, a separate Lunar Module based Apollo Telescope Mount (ATM), and an Apollo Command and Service Module (CSM).
The two large workshop mounted solar panel arrays extend out from the main workshop cylinder, spanning 21.5 inches (54.6 cm). My model is missing the four “windmill” solar panels that would deploy outward from the ATM.
The name plate on the base indicates this model was crafted by the model shop at George C. Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. To me, nothing else – that fits in a display cabinet – better defines the Apollo era than a model made in the very place the actual rockets were conceived.
And, I love the name of the department that housed the model shop – the ‘Graphic Engineering and Models Branch’. It has the word “engineering” in its name, and the craftsmanship shows it.
What I would have given to have that on my name badge ...
The Command and Service Modules are typical of the models that came out of the MSFC model shop. It is painted white and has red text labels identifying the major components. The engine bell is painted a metallic silver.
The Service Propulsion System exhaust nozzle has a characteristic curved profile, which seems more exaggerated than that of the final flown version.
The Command Module has a snap fixture that allows it to attach to the Docking Adapter. Judging by its weight, my guess it that it is made of plastic. From what I have seen, round parts like these were turned on a lathe from clear Plexiglas rod stock.
The Docking Adapter is a hefty metal machined part, painted white with the typical red lettering.
The axial docking port at the top has a built-in snap fixture that accepts the corresponding snap on the Command Module. Three additional radial docking ports are positioned around the cylinder’s sides and contain the same snap-type fixture that can accommodate the CM.
The Airlock Module sits beneath the Docking Adapter. It is also made of metal and sits within four metal truss structures that are braced to the sides of the base of the Spacecraft Lunar Module Adapter (SLA) portion of the Saturn S-IVB stage.
Below the SLA, sitting atop the main workshop is a section representing the Saturn IB Instrument Unit.
The workshop has a large clear window providing a view of the layout and contents of the interior, and several astronaut crew figures.
As detailed as this model is, the sparse contents within the workshop reflect its origins during the early stages of the design of the spacecraft concept.
The aft/lower section contains the J-2 engine and a tank for liquid oxygen that would be used to ignite the liquid hydrogen fuel needed to boost the whole assembly into Earth orbit in this ‘Wet Workshop’ configuration.
Standing next to the workshop on the wooden base is a familiar figure found on many models from the Marshall model shop. Serving as a scale reference, he can also be thought of as representative of the great many people who contributed to the early NASA space programs. We salute you, tiny technician clad in your white coveralls, black boots, and your yellow hard hat.
The giant cutaway window reveals the workshop volume is divided into two main levels. The clear plastic floors and interior walls allow viewing of storage lockers, air tanks, exercise equipment, dining tables and stools.
Inside the workshop are three astronaut crew members. Interestingly, the model makers acknowledge the lack of gravity by showing the astronauts standing in both heads ‘up’ and heads ‘down’ orientation. And yet they are still standing (and sitting) rather than floating free, indicating a possible Earth-based mindset on the part of the model makers.
To be fair, the actual Skylab had a system that allowed the astronauts to lock their shoes into a triangular grid on the floors, but most of the photos and videos I have seen indicate they may have rarely used this feature.
Here is a view of the interior of the actual Skylab backup workshop at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum. (Note: The framed Plexiglas partitions were added by the Smithsonian.)
And, here are all nine Skylab crew members inside the 1-G trainer.
In the foreground of the Smithsonian’s backup workshop photo, above, can be seen the bicycle ergometer used to monitor the metabolism of the astronauts. The ergometer is one of the few equipment items depicted inside the model.
Here, Pete Conrad gets a good workout on the Skylab ergometer while on his Skylab mission.
The forward/upper floor is sparsely populated in this model. It contains several blue spheres representing helium tanks for pressurizing the liquid oxygen tank2, a conduit or pipe running the length of the workshop interior, and an astronaut figure.
Like the J-2 engine on this model, the helium tanks are features that are specific to the ‘Wet Workshop’ concept. These details make me appreciate the model even more as an example of a step in the early design evolution of Skylab.
The helium tanks can be seen in this cutaway illustration.
The actual upper section of the workshop interior was quite expansive. The dome area is about 22 feet (6.7 m) in diameter and 19 feet (5.8 m) from top to bottom.
Here, Gerald Carr is seen exuberantly floating in the upper dome.
The upper interior volume was so large, in fact, that the precursor to the Manned Maneuvering Unit (MMU) was tested inside the workshop on one Skylab mission.
Here is Alan Bean testing the Astronaut Maneuvering Unit (AMU).
Here’s another view of the aft/lower level of the workshop. Again, I’ll point out the decidedly Earth-bound appearance to the way the astronauts are standing and sitting, as if they are in the presence of gravity.
In fact, you probably didn’t even notice that I have flipped the photograph upside down.
The astronaut, here, is strapped into a spinning chair called the Human Vestibular Function experiment. It was a potentially vomit-inducing contraption used to test Skylab astronauts' susceptibility to motion sickness.
Here is a view of a test subject using the chair during ground training.
Here is an overview (or is it an underview?) of the level containing experiment equipment, sleep quarters, and galley.
This view is looking down from the domed forward/upper section into the crew quarters section. On the left can be seen the (upside down) galley stools and table.
The stools were eventually dropped from the plan, as it was decided that all the astronauts needed was a place to fix their feet in place to stabilize themselves, as seen in this photo of the backup workshop.
Here, the Skylab 2 astronauts are seen eating at the table in the 1-G trainer.
Turning again to the exterior of the model, the Lunar Module derived Apollo Telescope Mount is modeled as a separate assembly.
I am very impressed by this highly detailed example of MSFC model shop craftsmanship. It is a heavy piece, made of solid plastic and metal.
Affixed to the front and back of the LEM Ascent stage are several flat metal plates. I would assume these were meant to provide protection from solar radiation and meteorite impacts.
The descent stage has impressive representations of the three attitude stabilization gyroscopes as well as a multitude of equipment boxes.
In this configuration, the ATM was designed to be piloted independently or docked to the CSM.
The ATM can be docked to the workshop by inserting the cylinder at the top of the Ascent stage into a precision sized hole on the back of the docking adapter.
So detailed is this model, that the telescope instrument cylinder can swivel within the surrounding solar shade, representing its fine pointing capabilities.
Here is a final look at the complete assembled Cluster Configuration model with the ATM attached.
Next time I will round out this Skylab anniversary year with a look at a pop-up book about the orbital workshop.
Recommendation of the Month
Mike Jetzer’s website, heroicrelics.org, is a must see for space history and hardware enthusiasts. It contains thousands of Mike’s personal photographs from space museum displays, in-depth technical diagrams for a multitude of rockets, and high resolution scans of historical brochures from NASA and its contractors, and much more.
I highly recommend you add heroicrelics.org to your space history reference bookmarks.
My space-inspired art portfolio can be found at pixel-planet-pictures.com. You can also follow me on Instagram (pixelplanetpics).
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All images and text copyright © Dave Ginsberg, unless otherwise noted. All rights reserved.
Skylab Model by Marshall Space Flight Center, https://archive.org/details/MSFC-6761679 (last visited Nov. 17, 2023).
CORRECTION: Creating Space reader, Mike Jetzer, reached out to offer a correction to my interpretation of the blue spheres in the upper interior section of the workshop. I had previously guessed that they may have represented tanks for breathing gas or water. Mike correctly identified them as so-called “cold helium tanks” that were used in the S-IVB stage to pressurize the liquid oxygen tank.
I appreciate when people let me know of errors when they find them in Creating Space. I am by no means a professional historian. The U.S. space programs were, and continue to be, incredibly large and complex – dare I say “astronomical” – endeavors. There is an immense amount of information documenting their history. There may be even more that was not documented, or that may not be readily accessible. It is inevitable that I, or any writer of space history, miss something or make a mistake in interpretation, even with all the research that precedes the writing.