Experiment planning during the Skylab missions

The objectives of the Skylab Program included observations of the earth, the sun, the stars, and a comet in addition to a variety of engineering and medical experiments. Attention is given to mission planning activities accomplished before the launch of the orbital workshop, during the manned missions, and between manned missions. Two major purposes of early experiments planning were related to the establishment of reasonable potential goals in terms of accomplishment and the discovery of potential problems in scheduling. Planning during the mission proceeded according to a scheme in which the planning was done on a daily basis. Experiences from the three Skylab missions are discussed separately. The results of the Skylab Program demonstrate the value of the daily experiment planning system that was capable of reacting to changing constraints.