The first successful test flight of Poseidon was from Cape Canaveral on August 16, 1968, and the first submarine launch was from the U.S.S. _James Madison_ on August 3, 1970. The Poseidon C-3 is from the U.S. Navy and Lockheed Aircraft Corporation. Skylab [Illustration: 73. Closeup view of Skylab space-station cluster photographed against a black-sky background from the _Skylab 3_ Command Module during the “fly around” inspection prior to docking.] Launched into earth orbit on May 14, 1973, Skylab was a research center that housed three-man crews on three different visits to the space station. The longest mission lasted nearly three months. Equipment and experiments on board the orbiting station were designed to accommodate four areas of research: earth observation to further knowledge of natural resources and the earth’s environment; solar observation to increase understanding of solar processes and influences on earth’s environment; study of the effects of long duration weightlessness on man, basic biological processes and adaptability to space flight conditions; and experiments in processing of materials under the unique conditions of weightlessness and vacuum environment of space. All missions were highly successful in obtaining data and photographs. Skylab consisted of four major components: the Orbital Work Shop (OWS), Airlock Module (AM). Multiple Docking Adapter (MDA), and the Apollo Telescope Mount (ATM). The cylindrical Orbital Work Shop is 15 meters (48 feet) in length and 6.5 meters (22 feet) in diameter. The workshop is divided into two major areas by an open-grid partition. By wearing special shoes, the astronauts can use this grid to anchor themselves in the weightlessness of space. The lower portion contains the crew quarters, food preparation and dining areas, washroom, and waste processing and disposal facilities. [Illustration: 74. Orbital Workshop crew-quarters installations.] I M131 chair control Sleep compartment 70 sq ft II Head 30 sq ft Wardroom 97 sq ft III M507 gravity substitute work bench Experiment compartment 181 sq ft M171 gas analyzer M171 helmet stowage ESS IV M092 LBNPD Electric power control console M131 rotating chair The upper portion contains a large work-activity area, water-storage tanks, food freezers, film vaults, and experiment equipment.