ON BEHALF of the American people, I salute Skylab's third crew of astronauts on their safe return to Earth.
They have successfully completed man's longest space journey and brought to an end one of the most scientifically productive endeavors in the history of human exploration. From the Skylab program, we have learned that we can live and work in space for long periods of time. And we have found that the results of these efforts can be of enormous practical value to life on Earth.
Skylab now joins the ranks of the Santa Maria, the H.M.S. Beagle, the Spirit of St. Louis, and the Eagle. Each of these great vehicles has carried us beyond the contemporary limits of human knowledge into a new comprehension of our own possibilities and a new definition of our own destiny.
We welcome the men of Skylab home, and we salute them and all their predecessors who have launched us on this great adventure.
Note: The statement was radioed to astronauts Lt. Col. Gerald P. Carr, USMC, Lt. Col. William R. Pogue, USAF, and Dr. Edward G. Gibson on board the U.S.S. New Orleans in the Pacific at the conclusion of their 84-day mission.
Richard Nixon, Statement Following Splashdown of Skylab 3. Online by Gerhard Peters and John T. Woolley, The American Presidency Project https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/node/256289