Skylab’s arm
The Skylab Remote Manipulator Arm (SRMA) was the culmination of over 10 years of research into remote arms, booms, and so-called ‘Serpentuators’. After completing 3 years of development and testing, the first SRMA would be launched to Skylab II on Argo 5 in late 1977, before SL78A crew Stuart Roosa and Robert Gibson successfully affixed it to a pre-prepared port on the upper side of the Multiple Docking Adapter (MDA). For the last two years of the station’s life, SRMA was used to support operations, external experiments and orbital construction. Astronauts could control it through a joystick and panel within the MDA.
Skylab III was launched in 1980 with SRMA rails around the circumference of the upper and lower end of the Orbital Workshop, and a connecting traverse rail between the two. When the station was commissioned, the rails were deployed and locked in place ready for the arm, which was delivered on the second Argo flight to the station 5 months later. It was attached and deployed by SL80B Commander Bob Crippen and Mission Specialist Story Musgrave. For the nine years of the station’s life, the SRMA successfully supported orbital operations, playing a key role in station maintenance, moving equipment and supplies around the station, supporting astronauts working in space, and servicing external science experiments.
