1973 NASA Lithograph "Launches of Skylab 1 & Skylab 2"
1973 NASA Lithograph "Launches of Skylab 1 & Skylab 2" is a vintage Lithographs / Prints artifact by U.S. Government Printing Office / NASA from 1973, preserved in The Record Institute Ephemera Archive.
Category: Lithographs / Prints
Brand: U.S. Government Printing Office / NASA
Year: 1973
Rarity Class: B
Issued directly by the U.S. Government Printing Office in 1973, this dual-pane lithograph captures the mechanical transition of America’s space program from lunar exploration to orbital habitation. Through a meticulous reading of the reverse text block, the artifact reveals a remarkable institutional typo regarding the payload of the historic missions, rendering it a uniquely compelling piece of primary-source aerospace ephemera.
Quick Read
Dual Mission Record: Documents the successive May 1973 launches of the unmanned Skylab 1 station (Saturn V) and the manned Skylab 2 crew (Saturn IB). Institutional Typo: The official text on the reverse incorrectly directs viewers to look for an escape tower on the "manned Skylab 1," a historically impossible instruction that makes the piece unique. Primary Source: Bears the official imprint of the U.S. Government Printing Office from 1973 (Code: 1973—779-978/04). Visual Comparison: Highlights the sheer scale difference between the Saturn V and the Saturn IB, noting the latter's reliance on a lattice pedestal ("milkstool").
Summary
Issued directly by the U.S. Government Printing Office in 1973, this dual-pane lithograph captures the mechanical transition of America’s space program from lunar exploration to orbital habitation. Through a meticulous reading of the reverse text block, the artifact reveals a remarkable institutional typo regarding the payload of the historic missions, rendering it a uniquely compelling piece of primary-source aerospace ephemera.
