The American-Soviet Mission That Ended The Space Race
On July 17 1975 1 billion viewers witnessed a historic event live on television; it's the first spacing counter in the history of humanity. And yet we were in the middle of the cold war. Since the end of the Second World War, the world had been cut from the east against the west. Communism against capitalism. The USSR was against the USA. Each was developing its own space program away from prying eyes. This was the space race with a nuclear threat As its backdrop. This political and technical feat defying nature went by the name Apollo Soyu's test project. Only those involved in space flight were brave enough to break the ice of the cold water. From the two countries, Cosmonauts and astronauts showed the whole world that cooperation was possible. Demonstration that the people of the two great nations could work there They had only 3 years just 3 years to overcome all the difficulties and pull off a series of technical exploits together The first time we went to Nasa there was a poster bearing the legend beware the Russians are coming. 3 years during which the team's got to know each other. The commanders Stafford and Leonov were two brothers from two continents. Apollo so used two different technologies From the ruins of the second world war the USA and the USSR were seen as the two main victories called upon Rule the world. Unable 25th 1945. Armies from the two countries met in Germany on the banks of the river elder and symbolically signed the end of the conflict in Europe. Joe American and Russian troops as they join the tour now on the river Alde. Splitting German armies in two. At the same time in Oklahoma and on the shores of the Baltic Sea two high schoolers Thomas Stafford and Alexie Leonoff were dreaming of conquering the sky and its stars were already linked to this symbolic anchor the cozy brother had been Between the United States and the USSR were short-lived. In the field of world affairs, each power wanted to impose its ideology on the rest of the world. When an iron curtain came down across Europe, it signaled the start of the cold war. The USA and the USSR fought a fierce technological battle in the field of space travel referred to as the space race but military too And in 1963 the first woman terrish cover In 1969 the alarm strong and his one small step gave the Americans a clear lead When Lunar Euphoria had dissipated the earth's wedding the day their world will be wiped out by the fallout from a nuclear apocalypse after a quarter of a century of the frantic arms race the two sides realize that they possessed enough nuclear weapons to destroy each other Reciprocally and much more besides. The action was needed. Discussions began between US President Richard Nixon and the general secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, Leonard Regev. In the early 1970s. Relations between the Soviet Union and the United States improved markedly. This period was called Dayton. Agreements of great importance were signed in 1972 between the USSR and the USA in the field of strategic arms limitations. On May 22 1972 Richard Nixon became the first American president to visit Moscow. During the trip, the USSR and the United States signed the Salt one agreement which banned both countries from increasing their number of intercontinental weapons. The phase of placement also extended to other areas. Need some prison President Nixon and the president of Nasa Fletcher called our prime minister procedure and the president of our academy of sciences. Moon and Nixon said we find ourselves in a stream Situation. Any mad man could start a war. Afternoon negotiations. The leaders of the two countries committed to space cooperation. Article three provided for the design of a docking system between American and Soviet spacecraft Experimental flight involving Apollo and so use within visage for 1975. Mission was via technicians, scientists, engineers, and astronauts. A way of making a connection that the politicians couldn't make between themselves on the serious topics of the time The war in Vietnam, the unrest in Africa in South America. The planet was one big trouble spot. Among the cosmos as among the astronauts. Initial reactions to the announcement of this teacher's cooperation were muted. Alan Bean was the fourth man to walk on the moon. Well, Russia For a while seems like a threat to our peace here. We did have a chance during those years to meet some soviet cosmetics at the Paris Air Show for And we could see that they were like us and we were like them. Each country will launch and fly its own spacecraft Was to make absolutely certain that the two spacecraft can dock and very soon there will be some from Europe we'll send spacecraft into space Well that's not died or would it be possible to have some other sisters by some other country would come in and lock with it Had to arrange it so that two spacecraft taking off from two geographically different launch sites Atmosphere. We had to consider a transition airlock. Between the vessels and between the Soviet and American stations. And with those controlling the flight from the ground. There was a lot of technical and organizational work. During the Paris Air Show at Luborge in 1973, the USSR and the USA officially presented the Apollo Soys mission to the public the previous January Nasa had selected the crew that would fly aboard Apollo General Thomas Stafford would command the module. An experienced three-time space traveler. During the Apollo 10 mission, he carried out the first flight in a lunar module. And on his return trip to earth, he became the fastest man in the world achieving almost 40 thousand km an hour. A record never equaled a Nice song Myself and Everyone was itching to know the final makeup of our crew. Later that evening or reception I gave him all the hotel rooms saying they broke out for the Soviet leaders. There was no contest Alexi Leonoff would command Sawyers. Back in 1960, the kid from Siberia was one of the 20 Soviet Air Force pilots selected to become a cosmetic. In March 1965 he achieved legendary status. By becoming the first person to walk in space. 40-year -old Valerie Cuba Would be the flight engineer alongside Alexi Leonoff. He knew this use intimately from having flown in 1969. To astronaut with a company Thomas Stafford in the Apollo module. Designated backup crewman on Apollo 15. This time the American Vance brand wouldn't remain on the touchline. And would undertake his first space flight between the two countries The mission logo was designed to be read in both directions so use a pollo in the USSR Apollo Sawyers in the USA preparation for this first international mission could begin organizing to various meetings It early autumn 1973 though the global political backdrop was fairly chaotic instructions to astronauts cosmos engineers and technicians on both sides were clear My first impressions it gave me the jitters we were off to a developed country with topnotch specialists in their field with my knowledge and my capacities match up The American delegation had a similar taste of otherness when journeying to Moscow for their first stay on enemy soil The Russian people were very interested in my experience of walking on the moon and we were very careful when we talked about this Tonight say anything that was bragging at first you know the conditions of the world being what they were at the time there was probably suspicion on on both sides about motives and other things but we made it Point of sticking to we were interested in what applied to the flight For the American delegation the disorientation was total shifted Similarities often hide behind the dissimilaritiesUnited States and the Soviet Union. We didn't compare our television. Well, you know, programs. We didn't compare the food you could buy in the stores. We didn't compare anything and they didn't do that to us either. The American team listened to the Russian delegation. The unveiled part of Swea is a secret. The astronauts noted in particular that the guidance I navigation systems of the Russian module were totally different from those views on Apollo. Throughout the meetings, other incompatibilities arose. All require solutions that they must find together to allow the Festivals to do. First of all, we have to settle a sizable problem. Each crew would learn another language. We started out at the baseline. Would the H crew take their own language? And the other crew would have to understand. But after about 6 months of working back and forth. It was going very slow. Dalia. Ricky. There's Oakla Are vodka. Alright. We're back up commander. And a totally flip tico. We were trying to talk. It was like ESPN came to both of us. Not at the same time. So I speak Russian. He used to speak English to me. How about we understand each other? Because. If you're not extremely fluent in a foreign language you will speak a story and you will speak it more distinctly. Despite the various cooperation agreements signed between the Soviet and American leaders, the invisible forces of the KGB and the CIA continued gathering information in The control room. This trip to the USSR was a chance to see behind the curtain. The Russians were very paranoid about security. And as a matter of fact, I was warned by Bob Overmeyer. One of our astronauts stayed over there doing the mission. Bob said The hotel Rocia has 3000 rooms. He says he has to get used to that. All of them are bugged. They all have eavesdropping. And if you need a new one, if you need clean sheets or a towel, open the doors on the armor and say I need more towels. And they'll be there the next morning. Everyone wanted to know how sincere the other side was. Everyone wanted to know if by chance the other side wasn't doing all this for Espionage reasons rather than political reproach. At the time the Russians were handicapped in the field of information technology and particularly in the field of electronics. So one thing the Americans guarded jealousy with the directions at the time was that the Soviets should Not profit from any unwinking technology transferred. As you can imagine, the Russians were briefed by the KGB and the Americans by the CIA before the mission. Each had to know what should be talked about and what should not. Hey, Facebook as they learn to work together after not having to prepare like an athlete even if they're only part of the backup Crew. Like Vladimir Johnny Beckoff. Age 32. He was at the beginning of a very long career as a cosmonaut. The first time we arrived at Nasa there was a sign saying beware. The Russians are coming. Hey, what's this right next to me the door was open. That was a blackboard on which someone had drawn a space shuttle. And from its hold bombs were falling onto a map of Russia. We laughed of course. But the memories stayed within 1 year before the start of a mission the two crews gathered in Houston where they trained on mock-ups and simulators together they would have to drop a precise mission schedule Send the question arose of where the two crews should meet. How many dockings Diplomatic training convinced the Americans with his characteristic gentle assistant that the Soviet Union should leave first finally after long negotiations it was decided that on July 15 1975 the Sawyers rocket would take off first and ignite immediately interest one of the main objectives And the teams on the ground certainly got the picture for the first time the American Apollo Spacecraft would carry force state of the art portable video cameras and a VCR recorder it was TV had become very important just to share with the public who goes out of the taxpayers. I pay for it. So I push for all the TVs you can get. Cuz we want to show the rest of the world what we're doing. In the case of the same, It was the first publicly televised live televised launch of the spacecraft everything had been kept in bargain until they were certain that they were successful so it was very important to the Soviet people as well as to the world Imagination and part of American public opinion held that these flights were no longer useful and cost too much. So the national aeronautics and space administration was keen to make an impression with a pollution Image of this mission would be the handshake between Alexi Leonaf and Thomas Stafford. However, Harty, the handshake, would cost Nasa the equivalent of 1 billion of today's dollars. They practice that handshake 1000 times. They rehearsed with models. They also worked on my speeches to have at least a base to work from. But what do you want? It's all a bit like theater. Okay. There are lots of debates that the meeting should take place between the airlock. Hey, Facebook, it is impossible to get interesting shots for television. We have to film it and angle it's not to distort the image. The handshake is the universal gesture of comrades and an open ship revealing that you are unarmed. You're holding out your hand and greeting. When the Soviet crew would be in the United States, all different crew members would have been to the house for dinner, including the engineers too. Alright, so After a very close election. I want to visit Hollywood. Leona. I use commander. Movie star Don't start at once. A very tight relationship. It was actually because Leonard is a very personable person. A guy that has a real personality. He likes to laugh. He likes to To do things that didn't receive. He likes to test you and Stafford was an upright guy. But Leonard's attitude can a broke his tough spirit. And made him more human. The two commanders will be flying two very different vessels The Apollo Craft was developed for lunar missions so Apollo had extensive maneuverability and great flight autonomy in total autonomy Our fuel storage capacity prevented it from flying and altitudes higher than 1300 km. But so you should already demonstrate that its automatic docking system worked when handling hookups in space. Today the Russian module has become a taxi cab for the international space station The Russian and American teams were, therefore, had to construct a junction between the modules. Who would be the male and who the female and neither one side no the other wanted to be the female the earlier assistants involved having a Hey it was a kind of a probe in our language we would call that a male part that would then engage what is a female part Captured the two vehicles with the system that was identical on both sides that we had these interlocking fingers that brought the vehicle together. The talking system developed for the Apollo so use mission comprised three petals used as a guide at top of docking collar Packs between the two vessels after which it would retract and maintain an interlock between Soyuz and Apollo. A competition was held between the two nations and the Russian tulip model was selected. However, each country would build it using its own message. Okay, Houston. This is very affordable. 2 years on, their efforts had borne fruit as the atmosphere between the two crews was looking good. Away from the pressures of their Precise information between themselves even drawing on each other's methodology. Through an example of what we learned working with the Americans. They would establish their technical documentation about the status of the flight in detail With serious flights. The more in-depth message was indeed better. That's what they taught us. When we tolerate intolerance we just have a professional relationship between people who can understand each other intellectually So by the time we flew that's what was taken 2 months before blast off physical preparations were stepped up. And flight chronology formalized. You can see command device signals. Command device signal. Because in space there is no room for improvisation. Cruise revives their flight plan Feedly over and over. Fine-tuning the various procedures down to the last second. Everything is bad Validated and then recorded. The two crews were ready for take-off. But one problem remained. In 2 years, the Americans were never able to work with the real soils. Reply, said look. I need to see the real space Hey different types of aircraft Hey Facebook I have yet to see a simulator or a marker that is exactly like the real brain and do it We'll send in the backup crew. And are they interested? You don't understand. The Sanford doesn't fly. I don't fly. It was all the astronaut union. I've struck. At the end with the cosmo knot support. Thomas Stafford and his team's request Was granted. On April 28 1975 they were the first Americans to visit the ultra-secret launch site of bike owners in Cosic time. The cruise could finally take off Very difficult for us. Right now we finish our last training session in Hey Facebook from the mission control center in Houston Texas live this morning more than 2000 Journalists came from all over the world to kick Canaveral in Florida to witness the take-off was being broadcast live from the bike owner cosmo drum While the cars went odds were on their way to the so used 9000 km away the astronauts were having breakfast in 7 hours and 20 minutes it would be their turn to take off took their places aboard Identical and all respects to the one the Americans would be using At 5:20 PM so use part of the company with a Kazock step for the 460 technicians in charge of the launch phase and indeed for all those who have been working for the last 3 years to ensure the mission success The center one beat was ready for its final voyage. 600 tons were divided into two stages to propel Apollo into orbit At 3:50 PM the hollow took off from Cape Canaveral In space you have no place to go to Each other and finally managed to join together. But it was an abnormal situation for an earthling who always goes from one place to another landing in return for this was a novelty over 20 thousand km per hour. The two Module set a date on the 36th of illusion Go for a dog also Houston is going for docking it's up to you guys have fun Hey we saw Apollo's light through our portal without we can see you That was concentrated Hey concentration with the years exactly lined up which I did We were in front of our stream everything was plugged in is something came when our direction I have to dodge it Hey Facebook contact. Professor Cameras were plugged in. As soon as we were watching them we heard the cries of joy. We were so happy Hey portal take a balance Watching it in awareness of you know what's gonna happen. I hope it went off without a problem. The pressures were good. The timing was good. The television would work. You boys Knock knock. On the other side, I heard this knock knock. I said in Russia Hey it's, I was right on the frontier. We knew that 1 billion people on this earth were going to be watching. So, I had to go right. You know, for us to work on something for 5 years, it was a long time. So we had been through so many subjects and so much detail to get that point that you know, you just carry this decision that you have made and choices that you've made about how this is gonna work and then when you finally get the chance to do it it's sort of confirmation that all those choices you made along the way were okay Dot successfully and Thomas Stafford was being seen all around the world. Hey, using the polar remains. for 2 days. And the first international spacecraft clucked up more than 6 million km in orbit around the earth. The Soviets and Americans visited each other. Going from one craft to the other and conducting various scientific experiments together. In turn, the crew has received the congratulations of their leaders. The first to speak out was Leonard Brajnev. The general secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union sent a handwritten message to Alexa Yelesea. I didn't want to do it. I don't have the delivery of TV presenters. We held out the letter and said beware. Each letter is important because it comes from freshness. Hey, Facebook Fruitful development of scientific cooperation between countries and the peoples in the interest of these and progress of all humanity. I wish you the successful completion of the planned program. The political contact was interesting. At the White House, the message from US President Gerald Ford was the same. If someone lets formal Admiration for your hard work, your total dedication, and preparing for this first joint flight. Missions were made possible by this first joint effort. Will be more or less commonplace. Okay. Throughout the duration of the mission, The cruise exchanged symbolic gifts. The two mission commanders also signed a document commemorating their meeting in space. From the slow use, module let's see Leonard and Thomas Stafford answer questions from Houston and Moscow in what was the first international press conference given from space After 4 days of weightlessness the Apollo mode You'll remain in orbit for another 3 days to finish its experiments. One last hug and the astronauts return to a hollow. The hatches were locked. The undocking of the two spacecraft went without a hitch. Apollo and so use. Activated the onboard sequencer which automatically governs reentry into the reception sphere After 6 days spent in Orbit the Soviets ended their mission in the steps of Cosic Stone Meanwhile on Apollo the American crew continue there in terminal loops around the earth The reentry procedure on Apollo wasn't automatic. And it was during this phase that things took a dramatic turn. Automatic would kill the electrical clusters about the time we went 60 thousand the Apollo module would continue. Immediately affected by the nitrogen to truck side fumes the three Americans felt their eyes, faces, and lungs were burning. That was terrible Responding to his calls. I looked over at him and the mask slipped on. Wow so I just masked on and hit the high flow route Hey oxygen fluid July 24 1975 at 5:18 PM in the middle of the pacific ocean the Apollo Soy's test project mission ended Thomas Stafford Dick Slayton and Vanth Brand who had barely cheated death saw their mission through With the world's eyes upon them. The three Americans were then hospitalized for 2 weeks. So it was that the Americans and Soviets ended their race to the stars hand in hand. History will record for the first time that enemy countries work together on an extraordinary project that announced a new era of space travel International cooperation. Beyond the actual exploit. The human dimension of the Apollo saw your mission demonstrated to the world that friendship between peoples was not just a hack, need a soviet catchphrase. Thank you for reading and please share.
