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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

Preparation and Setbacks

Soon enough, preparations for the project were underway.

The Soyuz 11 Tragedy

Although both countries had their triumphs and setbacks in the Space Race, none had been as tragic as the Soyuz 11 Tragedy of 1971, which marked the first known time that humans died in space. (Warning- graphic details below the cut)

The Space Race

The Space Race was a critical part of the Cold War, as it was seen as a test of superiority. In the US, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration were given control of all space activity that was not military-based. For the Soviet Union, success in space would mean the success of communism. However, the […]