Saturn Rockets Skylab Launch Vehicles. The diagram shows a Saturn V, used launch Skylab and a smaller Saturn 1B used launch its first crew. The diagram also shows a cut-away of stage 3 of the Saturn V. Skylab was launched on 14th May 1973 and was America's first manned orbiting space station (NASA Media Archives). Buy this as a superb wall poster, a canvas print or a framed print.