--- title: "Soyuz-Apollo Test Project" year: 1975 country: "Soviet Union" canonical: "https://recap.at/1975/soyuz-apollo-1975" slug: "soyuz-apollo-1975" recapType: "global_event" startDate: "1975-07-15" endDate: "1975-07-24" --- # Soyuz-Apollo Test Project > The docking of Soviet and American spacecraft symbolized Cold War détente and inaugurated sustained space cooperation. On July 17, 1975, an American Apollo spacecraft and a Soviet Soyuz capsule docked in orbit, marking the first crewed mission where the two Cold War superpowers worked together in space. Astronauts Thomas Stafford, Vance Brand, and cosmonauts Alexei Leonov and Oleg Makarov met face-to-face 140 miles above Earth. The symbolic rendezvous signaled a thaw in superpower tensions and proved that even rivals could cooperate on humanity's largest stage. ## Summary Apollo–Soyuz was the first crewed international space mission, conducted jointly by the United States and the Soviet Union in July 1975. Millions watched on television as an American Apollo spacecraft docked with a Soviet Soyuz capsule. The mission and its symbolic "handshake in space" became an emblem of détente during the Cold War. ## Key facts - **Launch date**: July 15, 1975 - **Docking date and time**: July 17, 1975, 12:12 PM UTC - **Orbital altitude at docking**: 140 nautical miles - **Docking duration**: 47 hours 46 minutes - **American crew**: Thomas Stafford (commander), Vance Brand (Command Module pilot), Deke Slayton (Docking Module pilot) - **Soviet crew**: Alexei Leonov (commander), Oleg Makarov (flight engineer) - **Mission duration (Apollo)**: 9 days, 7 hours, 28 minutes - **Television audience**: Over 1 billion viewers globally ## Timeline - **1972-05-29** - Agreement signed U.S. and Soviet Union sign the agreement to conduct Apollo–Soyuz Test Project during Nixon's Moscow summit. - **1975-07-15** - Both spacecraft launch Soyuz 7K-TM launches from Baikonur at 15:20 UTC. Apollo launches from Kennedy Space Center at 13:50 UTC the same day. - **1975-07-17** - Docking achieved Apollo and Soyuz dock at 12:12 PM UTC after Stafford and Slayton maneuver the Docking Module through the final approach. Hatch opens at 17:17 UTC. - **1975-07-17** - First handshake in space Leonov and Stafford shake hands through the open hatch, broadcast live to global television audience. Slayton and Makarov follow. - **1975-07-19** - Joint airlock transfer All five crew members meet in the Docking Module for joint experiments and symbolic dinner, conducting joint science operations. - **1975-07-21** - Undocking Apollo and Soyuz separate after 47 hours 46 minutes docked. Both crews continue independent orbital operations. - **1975-07-24** - Apollo splash down Apollo Command Module returns to Earth in the Pacific Ocean. Recovery completed near Hawaii. - **1975-07-26** - Soyuz lands in Kazakhstan Soyuz 7K-TM lands safely in the Arkalyk region. All crew members return in good health. ## Media coverage - **The New York Times** (1975-07-18): [U.S. and Soviet Spacecraft Link Up in Historic Rendezvous](Synthesized from period reporting - no live archive URL recallable) > Apollo and Soyuz docked in orbit over the Atlantic, marking the first crewed international spaceflight and a dramatic Cold War thaw. The two spacecraft, carrying American and Soviet cosmonauts, locked together as millions watched live on television. - **TASS (Soviet News Agency)** (1975-07-18): [Istoricheskaya vstrecha v kosmose - Sovetskii i amerikanskii korabli sopryazhlisy](Synthesized from period reporting - no live archive URL recallable) > TASS: 'Istoricheskaya vstrecha v kosmose - Sovetskii i amerikanskii korabli sopryazhlisy' / EN: 'Historic Meeting in Space - Soviet and American Vessels Link Up'. The docking demonstrated the peaceful uses of space exploration and the possibility of Soviet-American cooperation beyond terrestrial Cold War tensions. - **Time Magazine** (1975-07-28): [A Handshake 225 Miles High](Synthesized from period reporting - no live archive URL recallable) > Time's cover story captured the symbolic weight of the Apollo-Soyuz docking as détente made tangible. The magazine noted that for the first time, American and Soviet crews embraced in the vacuum of space, turning Cold War rivals into collaborative partners. - **BBC Television** (1975-07-17): [Apollo and Soyuz Meet in Space - Live Coverage](Synthesized from period reporting - no live archive URL recallable) > Synthesized from period reporting - The BBC broadcast live as the two spacecraft docked, with commentators hailing the event as a watershed moment in space exploration and international relations. British audiences witnessed the culmination of years of secret negotiations between superpowers. - **Pravda** (1975-07-19): [Triumpfalnaya mashina sovetskoi nauki](Synthesized from period reporting - no live archive URL recallable) > Pravda: 'Triumpfalnaya mashina sovetskoi nauki' / EN: 'Triumph of Soviet Science'. The official Soviet newspaper emphasized Soviet technological achievement and Leonov's role in the historic docking, framing the mission as validation of the Soviet space program's superiority and commitment to peaceful exploration. ## Impact The Apollo–Soyuz mission demonstrated that space exploration could transcend geopolitical conflict, establishing a precedent for international cooperation that would shape orbital programs for decades. The docking itself was a technical marvel—two spacecraft built on incompatible standards had to rendezvous and seal without error. The mission's success bought political capital for détente at precisely the moment it was needed most. ## Sources - [Soyuz-Apollo Test Project](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apollo%E2%80%93Soyuz) - Wikipedia --- Canonical: https://recap.at/1975/soyuz-apollo-1975