Apollo–Soyuz Test Project

The Apollo–Soyuz Test Project (ASTP) (Russian:Экспериментальный полёт «Союз» — «Аполлон», Eksperimantalniy polyot Soyuz-Apollon, lit. "Experimental flight Soyuz-Apollo"), conducted in July 1975, was the first joint U.S.–Soviet space flight, and the last flight of an Apollo spacecraft. Its primary purpose was as a symbol of the policy of détente that the two superpowers were pursuing at the time, and marked the end of the Space Race between them that began in 1957.

The mission included both joint and separate scientific experiments (including an engineered eclipse of the Sun by Apollo to allow Soyuz to take photographs of the solar corona), and provided useful engineering experience for future joint US–Russian space flights, such as theShuttle–Mir Program and the International Space Station.

ASTP was the last manned US space mission until the first Space Shuttle flight in April 1981. It was also U.S. astronaut Donald "Deke" Slayton's only space flight. He was chosen as one of the original Mercury Seven astronauts in April 1959, but had been grounded until 1972 for medical reasons.

Support crew

• Karol J. Bobko
• Robert L. Crippen
• Robert F. Overmyer
• Richard H. Truly

Flight directors

• Pete Frank, Orange team
• Neil Hutchinson, Silver team
• Don Puddy, Crimson team
• Frank Littleton, Amber team

Soyuz crew

Backup crew

Position Cosmonaut Commander Alexey Leonov
Second and last spaceflight Flight Engineer Valeri Kubasov
Second spaceflight Position Cosmonaut Commander Anatoly Filipchenko Flight Engineer Nikolai Rukavishnikov

• Mass:
  • 14,768 kg (32,558 lb) (Apollo),
  • 6,790 kg (14,970 lb) (Soyuz)
• Perigee:
  • 152 km (94 mi) (Apollo),
  • 186 km (116 mi) (Soyuz)
• Apogee:
  • 166 km (103 mi) (Apollo),
  • 220 km (140 mi) (Soyuz)
• Inclination:
  • 51.7° (Apollo),
  • 51.8° (Soyuz)
• Period:
  • 87.6 minutes (Apollo),
  • 88.5 minutes (Soyuz)

Docking

• First docking: July 17, 1975 - 16:19:09 UTC
• Last undocking: July 19, 1975 - 15:26:12 UTC
• Time docked: 1 day, 23 hours, 07 minutes, 03 seconds

Program cost

The United States spent $245 million on Apollo-Soyuz, or $1 billion in 2010 inflation-adjusted dollars