Skylab: The Third Manned Mission is a short film that documents the third manned mission to the Skylab space station. The three-man crew of Gerald P. Carr (commander), William Pogue (pilot), and Edward Gibson (scientist) blast off for the space station on 16 November 1973 and spend just over 84 days in space. The film shows the last of the Skylab missions, where the three men conduct experiments, observe and photograph the comet Kohoutek, and increase the previous time spent in space by nearly fifty percent. The film opens with a shot of the rocket launch pad at Kennedy Space Center: the Saturn rocket and space craft sit on the launch pad. Gerald P. Carr, William Pogue, and Edward Gibson are fitted for their space suits (01:21). The film shows the launch site at night (01:48) then cuts to the control center for countdown (02:26). Launch is initiated as the rocket begins to blast off (02:33). The rocket and spacecraft fly through the air. The film shows viewers the Skylab space station as it orbits the earth (03:18). The crew adjust to their new environment and move around the station, enjoying zero gravity (04:03). Carr participates in exercises using a harness to keep him tethered to the ground (04:40). Gibson rides a bicycle for exercise and for research on living in space. Carr measures Gibson for weight loss (05:37), then Carr weighs himself. Pogue gets out food packs and prepares meals (06:07); he demonstrates drinking from a water gun. Gibson addresses the camera about forming crystals in space (07:30). Carr spins a gyro in zero gravity and tests its rigidity (09:58). Gibson sits at the Apollo telescope console observing solar flares on the sun (10:43). The crew looks at the U.S. from Skylab, taking in views of Hawaii, California’s coast, Louisiana’s coast, the Northeast coast, and Florida. The men celebrate Christmas by decorating Skylab with a makeshift Christmas tree (12:24). Carr and Gibson prepare to leave the station, struggling to get their suits on in zero gravity. Outside the station, the men observe a comet and change the film in the Apollo telescope mount. Carr demonstrates an astronaut maneuvering unit inside the station (13:47). Two of the men work outside the space station (15:59). The film ends with a shot of Skylab orbiting the earth.

Skylab 4 (also SL-4 and SLM-3) was the third manned Skylab mission and placed the third and final crew aboard the first American space station. The mission started on November 16, 1973 with the launch of three astronauts on a Saturn IB rocket from the Kennedy Space Center, Florida and lasted 84 days, one hour and 16 minutes. A total of 6,051 astronaut-utilization hours were tallied by Skylab 4 astronauts performing scientific experiments in the areas of medical activities, solar observations, Earth resources, observation of the Comet Kohoutek and other experiments. The manned Skylab missions were officially designated Skylab 2, 3, and 4. Mis-communication about the numbering resulted in the mission emblems reading Skylab I, Skylab II, and Skylab 3respectively.