Before Skylab, Mir, or I.S.S....

"Space station" is a general term. It reflects the uses to which orbital bases can be put.

Skylab, the Salyuts, Mir and the I.S.S. have all been science labs. Writers have speculated stations will eventually serve as depots- or military stations- much like a service station would here on terra firma.

The grand visions of yesteryear once more portrayed BIG. The old images show enormous habitats like an O'Neill colony, hundreds of times bigger than the I.S.S. is today- but what about simple old "space stations?".

Something like Star Trek's Station K-7 (1968) is closer to a depot or military base.