The Legacy of the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project

Shortly after the mission was complete, the three astronauts were awarded the NASA Distinguished Service Medal by President Ford, who stated that: “The Apollo-Soyuz Flight was an encouraging reminder that — in an atmosphere of mutual trust and respect — men from different countries and different systems can work together for a common goal with […]

Dispatch and Landing

Finally after almost two days linked together, it was time for both ships to dispatch and finish their individual missions. The Soyuz landed in Kazakhstan on July 21st without any difficulties. Unfortunately, there was a safety scare for the Americans coming back three days after. Not all items on the checklist were completed, leading to […]

Gerald Ford and the ASTP

During the mission, President Gerald Ford called in to congratulate the crew. He emphasized the importance of the mission, stating that: Your flight is a momentous event and a very great achievement, not only for the five of you but also for the thousands of American and Soviet scientists and technicians who have worked together […]

NASA’s Gallery of Moments from the Project

Experiments Done

There were several different experiments performed during the mission. The primary one was to determine if the two ships could dock successfully. However, there was a variety of experiments conducted in the short amount of time together. In particular: 1. Photography of the solar corona– The crew attempted to recreate a solar eclipse when the […]

A-Ha!

This video, originally from NASA (but has since been re-uploaded to YouTube), shows the historic first handshake in space, between Stafford and Leonov.

When the Apollo-Soyuz Docked

This video, from ABC News, highlights the live coverage of when the ships docked.

Take-off and Docking

With preparations finished, the mission was underway. On July 15th, 1975, the Soyuz 17 craft took off from Baykonur, USSR. The Apollo spacecraft (which was the last of its kind) took off seven hours later from Houston. The final docking took place over Matz, France, and was broadcast live around the world. However, despite the […]

Behind the Scenes with NASA

This documentary, initially created by NASA, shows work behind the scenes, as well as interviews from those participating and the fun times that were had.

The Crew of the Apollo-Soyuz

There were five crew members upon the Apollo-Soyuz- three Americans and two Soviets