Space Rocket History

Due to the deterioration of relations between the United States and the Soviet Union in the late 1970s, no follow-on missions to ASTP took place. A backup Apollo spacecraft and Saturn IB rocket were available and there were some discussions … Continue reading → The post Space Rocket History #465 – Apollo-Soyuz Test Project – Epilogue first appeared on Space Rocket History Podcast.

Celebrations erupted in Mission Control, with broad smiles and cigar smoke marking the successful conclusion. But, while Mission control was celebrating, it was not yet known that the crew had been exposed to toxic fumes during descent. The crew was … Continue reading → The post Space Rocket History #464 – Apollo-Soyuz Test Project – Coming Home first appeared on Space Rocket History Podcast.

“I had thoughts I couldn’t express at the time. It felt like we weren’t just opening a hatch in space, but opening the door to a new era on Earth.”  Tom Stafford. The post Space Rocket History #463 – Apollo-Soyuz Test Project – Joint Operations first appeared on Space Rocket History Podcast.

On July 17, 1975, orbiting in space high above the French city of Metz, the American and Russian commanders shook hands. Their conversation, a mix of personal and technical remarks, reflected a casual familiarity, reminiscent of their simulator training sessions. … Continue reading → The post Space Rocket History #462 – Apollo-Soyuz Test Project – Handshake first appeared on Space Rocket History Podcast.

CapCom Truly radioed at 10:46 with the go-ahead: “I’ve got two messages for you: Moscow is go for docking; Houston is go for docking. It’s up to you guys. Have fun.” The post Space Rocket History #461 – Apollo-Soyuz Test Project – Rendezvous first appeared on Space Rocket History Podcast.

Reports from Baykonur indicated that the weather was perfect for the launch: clear skies, light winds, and hot July sunshine. The post Space Rocket History #460 – Apollo-Soyuz Test Project – Light the Candles first appeared on Space Rocket History Podcast.

Television coverage involved meticulous planning of specific television transmissions, detailed preparation for an onboard press conference, and careful scheduling of symbolic activities designed to engage and inform the public. The post Space Rocket History #459 – Apollo-Soyuz Test Project – I Want my Apollo/Soyuz TV first appeared on Space Rocket History Podcast.

Eight cosmonauts arrived in Washington, D.C. on February 7th, 1975 to start their final training session in the U.S. as the technical specialists argued whether the spacecraft was ready or not. The post Space Rocket History #458 – Apollo-Soyuz Test Project – Final Training & Tang Ceremony first appeared on Space Rocket History Podcast.

The origin of the Soviet’s concern, regarding the potential impact of the Apollo Command Module’s Reaction Control System (RCS) thrusters on the Soyuz spacecraft during docking maneuvers, can be traced back to a Skylab film. The post Space Rocket History #457 – Apollo-Soyuz Test Project – Soviet Concerns with Apollo first appeared on Space Rocket History Podcast.

Soyuz 16 served as a comprehensive rehearsal for the Soviet contribution to Apollo-Soyuz Test Project (ASTP). The post Space Rocket History #456 – Apollo-Soyuz Test Project – Soyuz 16 first appeared on Space Rocket History Podcast.

The American astronauts acknowledged the necessity of enhancing their Russian language proficiency. They observed that their Russian counterparts, had demonstrated a remarkable commitment to learning English, dedicating 6 to 8 hours each day to individual language instruction. The post Space Rocket History #455 – Apollo-Soyuz Test Project – Spacecraft Orientation first appeared on Space Rocket History Podcast.

For the first time, the Soviet Union publicly announced the crew assignments for a Soyuz mission before the flight. Previously, cosmonaut identities were kept secret until after their flights. The post Space Rocket History #454 – Apollo-Soyuz Test Project – Astronauts & Cosmonauts first appeared on Space Rocket History Podcast.

According to George Low, the Soviet mission operations control room was quite large – it contained 16 two-man consoles, thus allowing them 32 flight controllers. In addition, there was a back row of consoles which were used for personnel such … Continue reading → The post Space Rocket History #453 – Apollo-Soyuz Test Project – Mid-term Review first appeared on Space Rocket History Podcast.

In April of 1972, George Low returned to Washington from Moscow and briefed Henry Kissinger. He conveyed NASA’s assessment that a joint space mission in 1975 was feasible. The post Space Rocket History #452 – Apollo-Soyuz Test Project – Full Speed Ahead first appeared on Space Rocket History Podcast.

In a re-evaluation of the proposed test mission, the Soviets concluded that utilizing the Salyut spacecraft would not be technically and economically viable. The post Space Rocket History #451 – Apollo-Soyuz Test Project – No More Salyut? first appeared on Space Rocket History Podcast.

Finally Kraft and Gilruth told the Soviets that if they were unwilling to agree to the telephone conversations then the NASA delegation might as well pack up and go back to Houston. After some hesitation, the Soviets decided to try … Continue reading → The post Space Rocket History #450 – Apollo-Soyuz Test Project – Round 3 with the Soviets first appeared on Space Rocket History Podcast.

The spacecraft designers led by Caldwell Johnson faced a demanding task. Director Gilruth urged them to accelerate the development of the docking adapter design, aiming to have a functional model ready for the upcoming November meeting with the Soviets. The post Space Rocket History #449 – Apollo-Soyuz Test Project – Apollo-Salyut Test Mission Planning first appeared on Space Rocket History Podcast.

Two options were presented: Apollo docking with Salyut/Soyuz or Soyuz with Skylab/Apollo. Caldwell Johnson was taken aback by the Soviets’ eagerness to immediately pursue the development of a universal docking mechanism. The post Space Rocket History #448 – Apollo-Soyuz Test Project – Soyuz/Skylab & Apollo/Salyut first appeared on Space Rocket History Podcast.

On January 20th, 1971 in private negotiation, Low and Frutkin met with Keldysh and Feoktistov to discuss rendezvous and docking. NASA proposed developing compatible systems for Apollo and Soyuz rather than future spacecraft, aiming to give specialists something concrete on … Continue reading → The post Space Rocket History #447 – Apollo-Soyuz Test Project – Creating a Partnership first appeared on Space Rocket History Podcast.

A critical problem emerged during the separation and ignition of the third stage approximately five minutes into the flight. A failure in the electrical system responsible for releasing the locks securing the core stage of the booster to the third stage resulted in only one side of the locks disengaging. Continue reading → The post Space Rocket History #446 – Apollo-Soyuz Test Project – Tell Us All Your Secrets first appeared on Space Rocket History Podcast.