Skylab
Skylab was the first American space station, used for scientific experiments and crewed missions in Earth orbit during the 1970s.
Also known as: Skylab space station
How big is it?
36.1 m long
Overall orbital length · specified
A little perspective
About the same scale as Space Shuttle orbiter.
Space Shuttle orbiter: A Space Shuttle orbiter was a reusable winged spacecraft that carried crews and cargo between Earth and low orbit.
Measurements, assumptions & sources +
Skylab
Skylab was approximately 36.1 m long in orbit and had a launch mass of 77,088 kg. Deployed solar arrays extend across its width but do not define the measured longitudinal span.
The marked overall orbital length is calibrated. Unmeasured illustration details are representative.
Space Shuttle orbiter
A NASA Space Shuttle orbiter measured 37.24 m long, with a 23.79 m wingspan and 17.25 m overall height. External tank and boosters are not included.
NASA Technical Reports Server — Space Shuttle transportation system
The marked overall orbiter length is calibrated. Unmeasured illustration details are representative.
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Why this measurement?
Why we use 36.1 m
For comparison, this page uses overall orbital length. The record labels this value specified, so the stated convention rather than an inferred average controls the comparison.
Skylab was approximately 36.1 m long in orbit and had a launch mass of 77,088 kg. Deployed solar arrays extend across its width but do not define the measured longitudinal span.
The marked horizontal span follows the named feature; transparent margins and unmeasured details do not alter it. How calibrated comparisons work →
Recorded properties
Skylab dimensions and measurements
| Property | Selected value | Recorded range | Basis |
|---|---|---|---|
| 36.1 m | Not recorded | specified | |
| 77.09 t | Not recorded | specified |
Around this scale
Go smaller. Go bigger.
These links use compatible length records, ordered around the selected value.
Nearest lower value · SpaceRosetta spacecraft32 mRosetta was an ESA spacecraft launched to study comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko, carrying the Philae lander and powered by solar arrays.
Around the same scale · TransportLockheed SR-71 Blackbird32.7 mThe Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird is a long-range, high-altitude reconnaissance aircraft developed for the United States Air Force during the Cold War.
Nearest higher value · SpaceSpace Shuttle orbiter37.24 mA Space Shuttle orbiter was a reusable winged spacecraft that carried crews and cargo between Earth and low orbit.Sources and method
Want to check the number?
The source records and measurement method remain available for inspection.
- NASA — The launch of SkylabSkylab orbital configuration and approximately 170,000 lb orbital mass.
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