Skylab 4 was the fourth Skylab mission and placed the third crew on board. It started with the launch of three astronauts on a Saturn IB rocket and lasted 84 days. Astronauts performed scientific experiments in the areas of medical activities, solar observations and other experiments.
The all-rookie astronaut crew had problems adjusting to the same workload level as their predecessors when activating the workshop. The crew attempted to hide on astronaut’s early motion sickness from flight surgeons. The crew’s initial task of unloading and stowing the thousands of items needed for their lengthy mission also proved to be overwhelming.
As the activation of Skylab progressed, the astronauts complained of being pushed too hard and the ground crews disagreed with them. During the course of the mission, this culminated in the crew announcing an unscheduled day off, mutinying against Mission Control by turning off the communications radio while getting some rest. After a radio conference to air frustrations, their workload schedule was modified, and by the end of their mission the crew had completed even more work than had been planned before the launch. These experiences provided important lessons in planning subsequent manned spaceflight work schedules.
