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Yahoo
3 days ago
- Science
- Yahoo
50 years after a historic handshake in space, the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project's legacy still resonates
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. "Soyuz and Apollo are shaking hands now!" Fifty years ago today (July 17), at 12:09 p.m. EDT (1609 GMT), history was made as two crewed spacecraft launched by two countries docked together in orbit for the first time. Three American astronauts and two Russian (then Soviet) cosmonauts met up for just under two days of joint operations, setting the stage for future cooperation in space. "Very good to see you!" exclaimed Alexei Leonov, commander of the Soyuz side of the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project (ASTP, or Experimental-Flight Soyuz-Apollo in the Soviet Union), after the hatch between his spacecraft and the docking adapter was opened. "Very happy, my friend!" replied U.S. commander Thomas Stafford in "Oklahomski," his unique version of Russian with a heavy Oklahoma drawl. And then the Cold War rivals and space race competitors shook hands. Soon after, the rest of the crew — cosmonaut Valery Kubasov and astronauts Vance Brand and Donald "Deke" Slayton — joined in on the greetings. It was those two Americans' first time in space and Kubasov's second. Leonov had previously performed the world's first spacewalk, and Stafford was on his fourth flight; his previous off-Earth experiences included a trip around the moon. Glasnost and gifts "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 for three years to ensure the success of this very historic and very successful experiment in international cooperation," said then-U.S. President Gerald Ford during a call to space from the White House at the time. "It has taken us many years to open this door to useful cooperation in space between our two countries, and I am confident that the day is not far off when space missions made possible by this first joint effort will be more or less commonplace," Ford said. To mark the occasion, the crew members exchanged gifts. Plaques and medallions that had been designed to separate into halves — so one half could launch on Apollo and the other on Soyuz — were reassembled in space. The crew also signed formal documents, known as the "Space Magna Carta," that certified that this was this was first international space docking. The commanders exchanged small flags of each others' countries and tree seeds to be planted later in their respective nations. The Soyuz crew also launched with a United Nations flag, which the American crew then brought back to Earth and which is on display today in the U.N.'s New York headquarters. The five crew members took turns touring each other's spacecraft and came together for joint meals. Leonov surprised his U.S. counterparts with squeeze tubes labeled as containing vodka — in reality, they were filled with borscht (cold beet soup). "The best part of a good dinner is not what you eat, but with whom you eat," said Leonov, replying to a reporter's question during a televised, in-flight press conference. The U.S. and USSR crews returned to their respective spacecraft to sleep, but otherwise worked as one crew as long as their vehicles were linked. After 44 hours, 2 minutes and 51 seconds, the Apollo command module undocked from the Soyuz, and, as planned, created an artificial solar eclipse for the cosmonauts to photograph. The U.S. crew then approached and docked with the Soyuz again for 2 hours, 52 minutes and 33 seconds before the two crews bid farewell to each and parted ways. Leonov and Kubasov returned to Earth on July 21, landing on the steppe of Kazakhstan, while Stafford, Brand and Slayton stayed in orbit for another three days, splashing down in the Pacific Ocean on July 24, 1975. "It made a big impression, not just on me, but on the rest of the world." NASA astronaut Mike Fincke 50-year-old foundation Despite preliminary talks about follow-up missions sending an Apollo capsule or space shuttle to a Soviet Salyut space station, the next time Russians and Americans would meet up in orbit coincided with the 100th U.S. human spaceflight, 20 years (almost to the day) after the ASTP crews exchanged handshakes. On June 29, 1995, NASA's space shuttle Atlantis docked with Roscosmos' Mir space station. This time it was Vladimir Dezhurov, the commander of Mir's 18th crew, who clasped hands with STS-71 commander Robert "Hoot" Gibson. The milestone was preceded by Russian cosmonauts flying with U.S. space shuttle crews and NASA astronauts joining Russian Soyuz crews, as well as a shuttle mission rendezvousing (but not docking) with Mir. After STS-71, eight more U.S. missions linked up with the Russian space station to rotate crews and deliver components for the complex. The Shuttle-Mir program was considered Phase 1 of the International Space Station (ISS) program. Related Stories: — Apollo-Soyuz Test Project: Russians, Americans meet in space — Apollo-Soyuz astronaut reflects on changing U.S.-Russia relations in space — What was the space race? On Nov. 2, 2000, just about midway between the ASTP mission and today, astronaut William "Bill" Shepard and cosmonauts Yuri Gidzenko and Sergei Krikalev became the first crew to take up residency on board the ISS. Since then, for nearly 25 years, there has not been a day when U.S. astronauts and Russian cosmonauts have not been in space together. "It made a really huge impression on me to see some people from the Soviet Union, which at the time we were not very good friends with in the middle of the Cold War, and then these brave American astronauts get along really well and cordially and with friendship," Mike Fincke, who as a NASA astronaut is set to return to the International Space Station for his fourth time on SpaceX's Crew-11 launch at the end of this month, said during a July 10 press conference in Houston. Fincke was 8 years old when the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project occurred. "It made a big impression, not just on me, but on the rest of the world — that if the Soviet Union and United States can work together in space, maybe we can work together here on Earth," he said. Solve the daily Crossword
CTV News
06-06-2025
- Business
- CTV News
Canadian, European space agencies reaffirm relations amid political, economic anxiety
Canada Space Agency president Lisa Campbell, left, and director general of the European Space Agency (ESA) Josef Aschbacher display their signed reaffirmations of the Canada-European Space Agency Cooperation Agreement in Longueuil, Que., on Friday, June 6, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Christinne Muschi LONGUEUIL — The Canadian and European space agencies say economic and geopolitical turmoil are forcing them to work closer together. Leaders at both organizations signed a joint statement today at Canadian Space Agency headquarters south of Montreal reaffirming their co-operation. Josef Aschbacher, director general of the European Space Agency, says space programs are having to contend with economic uncertainty and global conflicts. His visit comes as the United States is pressuring NATO members to increase their spending on defence — a sector of the economy that is tightly linked to space. As well, Aschbacher says the United States' space agency — NASA — could be facing deep budget cuts. Canadian Space Agency president Lisa Campbell says that in uncertain times it's important to reaffirm relationships with like-minded allies. This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 6, 2025.
Times of Oman
06-06-2025
- Business
- Times of Oman
US Senators introduce bill to boost Quad space cooperation
Washington, DC: US Senators Kevin Cramer and Michael Bennet have introduced the Quad Space Act of 2025 to strengthen Quad space cooperation. The bill would direct US Secretary of Defence to initiate discussions with Quad nations to identify mutual areas of interest with regards to formulation of practices in space, cooperation on space situational awareness, and space industrial policy. The press release stated, "At a time when adversaries like China and Russia are increasingly utilizing space-based capabilities to expand their interests, US Senators Kevin Cramer (R-ND), co-chair of the Senate Space Force Caucus and chair of the Senate Armed Services (SASC) Airland Subcommittee, and Michael Bennet (D-CO) introduced the Quad Space Act of 2025." "The bill would direct the Secretary of Defense to initiate discussions with Quad countries to identify mutual areas of interest with respect to the formulation of best practices in space, cooperation on space situational awareness, and space industrial policy," it added. Cramer emphasised that maintaining space dominance is needed for protecting the stability and prosperity of the Indo-Pacific. He stated that Quad Space Act protects US' interests by deepening space cooperation with trusted partners and reaffirming US' commitment to advancing a free and open region." He stated, "Maintaining space dominance is vital to protecting the stability and prosperity of the Indo-Pacific region." He added, "The Quad's alignment addresses shared security challenges between our countries, and we recognize the importance of space as a strategic domain. The Quad Space Act protects our interests by deepening space cooperation with trusted partners and reaffirming our commitment to advancing a free and open region." Bennet emphasised that Quad Space Act will enhance the collective capacity of the four nations to address shared challenges by better ensuring safe and secure space missions, tracking objects and activities in space, and fostering shared innovation. "As China and Russia rapidly develop dangerous space capabilities and behave recklessly in space, the United States must bolster cooperation with our Quad partners to ensure a free and open Indo-Pacific," Bennet said in a release. "The Quad Space Act will enhance our collective capacity to address shared challenges by better ensuring safe and secure space missions, tracking objects and activities in space, and fostering shared innovation," he added. The Quadrilateral Security Dialogue or the Quad is a diplomatic partnership among India, Australia, Japan, and the United States, committed to fostering an open, stable, and prosperous Indo-Pacific that is inclusive and resilient. Earlier in January, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, on his first day in office, hosted the Foreign Ministers of Australia, India, and Japan for a significant meeting of the QUAD alliance. "On day one as Secretary of State, I hosted the Foreign Ministers of Australia, India, and Japan for an important meeting of the Quad. We are committed to strengthening economic opportunity and peace and security in the Indo-Pacific region," Rubio posted on X. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio held the meeting with his Quad counterparts--External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, Japan's Takeshi Iwaya, and Australia's Penny Wong--at the US Department of State. In a joint statement, the Foreign ministers of Quad countries reaffirmed their shared commitment to strengthening a free and open Indo-Pacific where "sovereignty and territorial integrity are upheld and defended." The Quad nations also expressed strong opposition "to any unilateral actions aimed at changing the status quo through force or coercion."
