Space Rocket History #444 – Apollo-Soyuz Test Project – Competition and Cooperation

Posted on August 2, 2024 by Mike Annis

Before joint missions, such as Apollo and Soyuz, could take place, both nations had to find a compelling rationale for cooperation, ultimately overcoming the seemingly insurmountable barriers to foster genuine cooperative space projects.

Yuri Gagarin First Man to Orbit the Earth

Mercury project astronaut John Glenn beside President Kennedy after receiving NASA medal.

Blagonravov(USSR) and Dryden(USA) Discuss Plans for Cooperative Missions

Jul 13

Space Rocket History #393 – Skylab – Soyuz Mission

Posted on July 13, 2022 by Mike Annis

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During 1970-1972, a possible fourth “new” docking mission with Skylab was considered. This new mission would not be just another Apollo docking, instead it was a radically different idea.

Possible Soyuz-Skylab Docking Mission. Credit Shayler

Skylab Multiple Docking Adapter. Credit Shayler

Full Scale Skylab Test Article. Credit Shayler

Aug 03

Space Rocket History #171 – Apollo 8 – The Reaction

Posted on August 3, 2016 by spac9750

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New York City welcomed the Apollo 8 crew with a ticker-tape parade on the 10th of January, Newark hailed them on the 11th, and Miami greeted them on the 12th during the Super Bowl game. The Astronauts returned to Houston on the 13th for a hometown parade. Incoming President Richard M. Nixon sent Borman and his family on an eight-nation goodwill tour of western Europe. Everywhere they went, the astronauts depicted the earth as a spaceship and stressed international cooperation in space.

Borman, Anders, Lovell, on the flight deck of the carrier U.S.S. Yorktown, recovery ship Dec. 27, 1968.

Lovell, Borman, and Anders (left to right) – back on the earth after their Apollo 8 mission, tell what they saw

The Crew of Apollo 8 on the cover of Time Magazine

Jan 07

Space Rocket History #143 – The First Soyuz Automatic Docking and the Secret Plan

Posted on January 7, 2016 by spac9750

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After 1957, the Soviets became accustomed to achieving “world firsts” in space accomplishments. Nevertheless, 10 years later they were not confident that they could pull off the world’s first fully automatic rendezvous and docking of two un-piloted Soyuz spacecraft. At the time the chance for success was estimated at only 50/50.