The final launch of a Saturn rocket came on July 15, 1975 as part of the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project. Earlier that day, a Russian Soyuz spacecraft lifted off its launch pad at a Soviet launch site carrying three cosmonauts. Seven and one-half hours later, the U.S. Apollo spacecraft was launched with its crew of American astronauts. Rendezvous and docking of the two ships were accomplished on July 17. The two ships remained docked for two days, conducting joint experiments and exchanging national mementos. In this photograph, astronauts Donald Slayton and Thomas Stafford chat with cosmonaut Alexei Leonov during their visit to the Soyuz Orbital Module.

S74-20823 (25 April 1974) --- Cosmonauts Aleksey A. Leonov and Valeriy N. Kubasov

S74-20807 (23 April 1974) --- Cosmonaut Aleksey A. Leonov (foreground) is briefed on the Apollo communications test system console in the Building 440 laboratory during the joint U.S.-USSR Apollo-Soyuz Test Project training activity at the Johnson Space Center. Leonov is the commander of the Soviet ASTP crew. Leonov is being briefed by astronaut Thomas P. Stafford, commander of the American ASTP crew.

S75-32340 (July 1975) --- Cosmonauts Valeriy N. Kubasov (left) and Aleksey A. Leonov participate in English language training during Apollo-Soyuz Test Project preflight preparations at the Cosmonaut Training Center (Star City) near Moscow. Leonov was the commander of the Soviet ASTP first (prime) crew; and Kubasov was the flight engineer on the same crew. They are seated in the language laboratory at Star City. PHOTO COURTESY: USSR ACADEMY OF SCIENCES

AST-05-298 (17-19 July 1975) --- Astronaut Donald K. Slayton and cosmonaut Aleksey A. Leonov are seen together in the Soyuz Orbital Module during the joint U.S.-USSR Apollo-Soyuz Test Project docking mission in Earth orbit. Slayton is the docking module pilot of the American crew. Leonov is the Soviet crew commander. This picture was taken with a 35mm camera.

S75-20108 (September 1974) --- Cosmonaut Aleksey A. Leonov (right), commander of the first (prime) crew of Soviet cosmonauts on the planned Apollo-Soyuz Test Project (ASTP), enjoys a tribal welcome from Shoshone Indians during a hunting trip in the Lander, Wyoming area. Leonov was in the United States to take part in joint crew training at the Johnson Space Center.

S75-21945 (24 Feb. 1975) --- Cosmonaut Aleksey A. Leonov (left) and astronaut Thomas P. Stafford take part in Apollo-Soyuz Test Project joint crew training in Building 35 at NASA's Johnson Space Center. They are commanders of their respective prime crews. The training session simulated the activities of the second day in Earth orbit. Stafford and Leonov are in the Docking Module mock-up.

AST-05-298 (17-19 July 1975) --- Astronaut Donald K. Slayton and cosmonaut Aleksey A. Leonov are seen together in the Soyuz Orbital Module during the joint U.S.-USSR Apollo-Soyuz Test Project docking mission in Earth orbit. Slayton is the docking module pilot of the American crew. Leonov is the Soviet crew commander. This picture was taken with a 35mm camera.

AS16-118-18964 (16-27 April 1972) --- This lunar farside oblique view from the Apollo 16 spacecraft in lunar orbit shows the Leonov Crater, just to the left and above the principal point of the photograph. Just beyond the horizon lies the Moscow Sea.

S75-28504 (17 July 1975) --- The American ASTP crewmen search the skies for the Soviet Soyuz spacecraft in this humorous artwork by cosmonaut Aleksey A. Leonov. Astronauts Vance D. Brand, Donald K. Slayton and Thomas P. Stafford (left to right) sit astride the Apollo spacecraft and Docking Module ready to lasso Soyuz. The cartoon humorously depicts the approaching historic event of an American spacecraft rendezvousing and docking in Earth orbit with a USSR spacecraft, scheduled today (July 17, 1975). Aboard Soyuz are Leonov, crew commander, and his fellow cosmonaut, Valeriy N. Kubasov. Stafford is the Apollo crew commander. The U.S. and USSR crewmen will visit each other's spacecraft while the Apollo and Soyuz are docked in Earth orbit for two days. Leonov, an accomplished artist, specializes in paintings on space subjects. He has a number of paintings on public exhibit in his native land.

S74-28666 (14 Sept. 1974) --- Cosmonaut Aleksey A. Leonov, in one of the lighter moments of activity involving Soviet cosmonauts and American astronauts, joins a belly dancer on stage as several visitors to weekend activity at the site of San Antonio?s HemisFair look on. Leonov is commander of the Soviet Apollo-Soyuz Test Project (ASTP) crew. A group of cosmonauts is in this country training with American astronauts for the joint U.S.-USSR ASTP rendezvous and docking mission scheduled for the summer of 1975. The Lebanese dancing was just one feature among many during the Texas Folklife Festival, in which members of 26 ethnic groups participated.

AST-05-296 (17-19 July 1975) --- Astronaut Thomas P. Stafford (left) and cosmonaut Aleksey A. Leonov are photographed together in the Soyuz Orbital Module during the joint U.S.-USSR Apollo-Soyuz Test Project docking mission in Earth orbit. They are respective commanders of their crews. This picture was taken with a 35mm camera.

AST-05-301 (17-19 July 1975) --- Astronaut Donald K. Slayton, cosmonaut Aleksey A. Leonov and astronaut Thomas P. Stafford are photographed in the Soviet Soyuz during the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project docking mission in Earth orbit. This picture was taken with a 35mm camera.

AST-05-275 (17-19 July 1975) --- Cosmonaut Aleksey A. Leonov, commander of the Soviet ASTP crew, displays a drawing of astronaut Thomas P. Stafford during the joint U.S.-USSR Apollo-Soyuz Test Project docking mission in Earth orbit. He is in the Soyuz Orbital Module. This picture was taken by an American ASTP crewman with a 35mm camera.

AST-03-191 (17-19 July 1975) --- Astronaut Thomas P. Stafford and cosmonaut Aleksei A. Leonov are seen at the hatchway leading from the Apollo Docking Module (DM) to the Soyuz Orbital Module (OM) during the joint U.S.-USSR Apollo Soyuz Test Project (ASTP) docking mission in Earth orbit. Cosmonaut Leonov is in the OM and astronaut Stafford is in the DM. Leonov holds a camera. The Apollo crew consisted of astronauts Stafford, commander; Donald K. "Deke" Slayton, docking module pilot; Vance D. Brand, command module pilot. The Soyuz 19 crew consisted of cosmonauts Leonov, command pilot; and Valeri N. Kubasov, flight engineer.

S74-20824 (April 1974) --- Cosmonaut Aleksey A. Leonov

S75-21715 (19 Feb. 1975) --- Cosmonaut Aleksey A. Leonov focuses his camera for an interior shot during a simulation exercise for the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project (ASTP). Leonov is inside the Soyuz orbital module mock-up in Building 35 at the Johnson Space Center (JSC), scene of current simulations for the joint U.S.-USSR space mission scheduled for July of this year. Astronauts and cosmonauts were taking part in second-day activity simulations when this photo was made. Leonov is the Soviet ASTP crew commander.

iss059e072908 (May 26, 2019) --- Cosmonauts Oleg Kononenko (left) and Alexey Ovchinin commemorated Alexei Leonov, the first human to walk in space, who turns 85 on Thursday, with signs attached to their Orlan spacesuits during their May 29, 2019, spacewalk. The sign attached to the spacesuit at left translates to, "Leonov #1." The sign on the spacesuit at right says, “Happy Birthday, Alexei Arkhipovich,” (Leonov’s patronymic name).

S74-20798 (23 April 1974) --- Candidate food items being considered for the joint U.S.-USSR Apollo-Soyuz Test Project mission are sampled by two ASTP crewmen in Building 4 at the Johnson Space Center. They are, left to right, astronaut Vance D. Brand, command module pilot of the American ASTP crew; and cosmonaut Aleksey A. Leonov, commander of the Soviet ASTP crew. Leonov is drinking orange juice from an accordion-like dispenser. The two Soviet crewmen will have an opportunity to eat with the three American crewmen while the Apollo and Soyuz spacecraft are docked in Earth orbit. Leonov will dine on food being chosen by him now.

S75-25077 (May 1975) --- A photographic copy of a painting made by cosmonaut Aleksey A. Leonov, commander of the Soviet ASTP first (prime) crew. This symbolic artwork, representing a Soviet Soyuz spacecraft docking in Earth orbit with an American Apollo spacecraft, was finished in May 1974. The sketch for the painting was made in 1973 following the signing of the space agreement between the United Stated and the Soviet Union. Leonov said that his painting symbolizes the new type of international cooperation of working together in space. The original painting, which measures 80 centimeters by 160 centimeters (1 cm. = 0.39 in.), is on display in a museum in the city of Baku on the Caspian Sea. In making the sketch for the painting Leonov used a model of an earlier Soyuz spacecraft and a picture of an Apollo spacecraft. Later, he obtained a model of an Apollo which helped him check the configuration of the American spacecraft. The tanks on the Docking Module are no longer exposed on the current DM configuration, he noted. Also, this would not be an exact view of the sun as seen from Earth orbit. Leonov took artist license in stressing the symbolism in his artwork. The Soyuz is represented smaller in the painting than it actually is, Leonov added.

S75-21892 (20 Feb. 1975) --- Astronaut Thomas P. Stafford (left) and cosmonaut Aleksey A. Leonov participate in Apollo-Soyuz Test Project joint crew training in Building 35 at NASA's Johnson Space Center. Stafford and Leonov are the commanders of their respective prime crews. They are in the Soviet Soyuz Orbital Module mock-up. This picture was taken during a ?walk-through? of the second day?s activities in Earth orbit.

S75-21720 (14 Feb. 1975) --- Astronaut Alan L. Bean (foreground) and cosmonaut Aleksey A. Leonov participate in Apollo-Soyuz Test Project joint crew training in Building 35 at NASA's Johnson Space Center. They are in the Apollo Command Module trainer. The training session simulated activities on the first day in Earth orbit. Bean is the commander of the American ASTP backup crew. Leonov is the commander of the Soviet ASTP first (prime) crew.

S74-20797 (23 April 1974) --- Candidate food items being considered for the joint U.S.-USSR Apollo-Soyuz Test Project mission are sampled by three ASTP crewmen in Building 4 at the Johnson Space Center. They are, left to right, cosmonaut Valeriy N. Kubasov, engineer on the Soviet ASTP crew; astronaut Vance D. Brand, command module pilot of the American ASTP crew; and cosmonaut Aleksey A. Leonov, commander of the Soviet ASTP crew. Kubasov is marking a food rating chart on which the crewmen mark their choices, likes and dislikes of the food being sampled. Brand is drinking orange juice from an accordion-like dispenser. Leonov is eating butter cookies. The two Soviet crewmen will have an opportunity to eat with the three American crewmen while the Apollo and Soyuz spacecraft are docked in Earth orbit. Leonov and Kubasov will dine on food being chosen individually by them now.

S75-32343 (15 July 1975) --- The two Soviet crewmen for the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project mission are photographed at the launch pad at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on the morning of the Soviet ASTP liftoff on July 15, 1975. They are cosmonauts Aleksey A. Leonov (left), commander; and Valeriy N. Kubasov, flight engineer. Leonov is waving to well-wishers at the launch pad. The Soviet ASTP launch preceded the American ASTP Apollo liftoff by seven and one-half hours. The American and Soviet spacecraft were docked in Earth orbit for a total of about 47 hours on July 17-19, 1975. PHOTO COURTESY: USSR ACADEMY OF SCIENCES

(2 May, 2012) --- At the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center at Star City, Russia on May 2, 2012, veteran cosmonaut Alexei Leonov, the first human to conduct a spacewalk in 1965, poses for a photo with Expedition 31 crewmembers prior to their farewell sendoff to the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. From left to right are NASA Flight Engineer Joe Acaba, cosmonaut Leonov, Soyuz Commander Gennady Padalka, and Flight Engineer Sergei Revin. Acaba, Padalka and Revin are scheduled to launch to the space station on May 15 in their Soyuz TMA-04M spacecraft. NASA/Stephanie Stoll

S74-20794 (23 April 1974) --- Cosmonaut Aleksey A. Leonov (center), commander of the Soviet crew of the joint U.S.-USSR Apollo-Soyuz Test Project mission, goes through familiarization training with a television camera during ASTP activity at the Johnson Space Center. Cosmonaut Valeriy N. Kubasov (right), engineer on Leonov?s crew, is looking on. An ASTP docking module mock-up is on the left. Interpreter K.S. Samofal is behind Kubasov. David Brooks, with JSC?s Crew Procedures Division, is in the left background. This phase of the ASTP communications training was conducted in JSC?s Building 35. The equipment being used in the picture is an early design of the Westinghouse TV camera.

S75-29432 (17 July 1975) --- Astronaut Thomas P. Stafford (in foreground) and cosmonaut Aleksei A. Leonov make their historic handshake in space on July 17, 1975 during the joint U.S.-USSR Apollo Soyuz Test Project (ASTP) docking mission in Earth orbit. This picture was reproduced from a frame of 16mm motion picture film. The American and Soviet spacecraft were joined together in space for approximately 47 hours on July 17th, 18th, 19th, 1975. The Apollo crew consisted of astronauts Thomas P. Stafford, commander; Donald K. "Deke" Slayton, docking module pilot; Vance D. Brand, command module pilot. The Soyuz 19 crew consisted of cosmonauts Aleksei A. Leonov, command pilot; and Valeri N. Kubasov, flight engineer.

S75-24926 (April 1975) --- Cosmonaut Aleksey A. Leonov, commander of the Soviet ASTP prime crew, practices with a training mock-up of the ASTP commemorative medal during Apollo-Soyuz Test Project activity at the Cosmonaut Training Center (Star City) near Moscow. Leonov is in the Soyuz orbital module trainer. Two medals divided into two halves each will be flown on the mission. The American ASTP crew will carry two halves aboard Apollo; and the Soviet ASTP crew will carry the other two halves aboard Soyuz. The four halves will be joined together to make two complete medals after the two spacecraft rendezvous and dock in Earth orbit. Grooved slots in the halves will allow the medals to be fitted together. One medal then will be returned to Earth by the astronauts; and the second medal will be brought back by the cosmonauts.

At the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center in Star City, Russia, ISS Expedition 48-49 backup crewmember Peggy Whitson of NASA (left) shares a lighthearted moment June 24 with legendary cosmonaut Alexey Leonov, the first human to walk in space, as Whitson and other crewmembers departed for their launch site at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. Prime crewmembers Kate Rubins of NASA, Anatoly Ivanishin of Roscosmos and Takuya Onishi of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency will launch July 7 from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on the Soyuz MS-01 spacecraft for a planned four-month mission on the International Space Station. NASA/Stephanie Stoll

At the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center in Star City, Russia, Expedition 29/30 Soyuz Commander Anton Shkaplerov (left) shares a moment with legendary Russian cosmonaut Alexei Leonov (right), the first human to walk in space, during the departure ceremony October 31, 2011 for Shkaplerov, NASA’s Dan Burbank and Russian Flight Engineer Anatoly Ivanishin as they left for their launch site in Baikonur, Kazakhstan. The trio will launch November 14 from Baikonur on their Soyuz TMA-22 spacecraft for the International Space Station. Credit: NASA

S75-28685 (17 July 1975) --- An overall view of activity in the Mission Operations Control Room in the Mission Control Center during joint U.S.-USSR Apollo Soyuz Test Project (ASTP) docking mission in Earth orbit. The large television monitor shows an interior view of the Soyuz Orbital Module with astronaut Thomas P. Stafford (in front) visiting with cosmonaut Aleksey A. Leonov. Neil B. Hutchinson (right hand to chin) is the flight director for this shift.

S75-22187 (25 Feb. 1975) --- Two ASTP crewmen look over food cans and packages in the Soyuz orbital module trainer in Building 35 during Apollo-Soyuz Test Project joint crew training at NASA's Johnson Space Center. They are astronaut Thomas P. Stafford (left), commander of the American ASTP prime crew; and cosmonaut Aleksey A. Leonov, commander of the Soviet ASTP first (prime) crew. The training session simulated activity on the second day in Earth orbit.

S75-24108 (8-10 Feb. 1975) --- A group of Apollo-Soyuz Test Project crewmen inspects an Apollo spacesuit during a three-day tour of NASA's Kennedy Space Center. They were at KSC to look over ASTP launch facilities and flight hardware. The six men wearing white caps are, left to right, cosmonaut Valeriy N. Kubasov, interpreter K.S. Samofal (far end of table), astronaut Vance D. Brand, cosmonaut Aleksey A. Leonov, cosmonaut Vladimir A. Shatalov and astronaut Donald K. Slayton.

S75-22194 (25 Feb. 1975) --- An interior view of the Soyuz orbital module mock-up in Building 35 during Apollo-Soyuz Test Project joint crew training at NASA's Johnson Space Center. The two ASTP crewmen are looking over a checklist. They are astronaut Thomas P. Stafford (left), commander of the American ASTP prime crew; and cosmonaut Aleksey A. Leonov, commander of the Soviet ASTP first (prime) crew. The training session simulated activity on the second day in Earth orbit.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Soviet Cosmonaut tour of KSC. United States, Soviet Union, prime crews for Apollo Soyuz Test Project inspect spacecraft checkout facilities in Manned Spacecraft Operations Building ACE Station. From left are astronauts Donald K. Slayton, Vance D. Brand and Thomas P. Stafford; cosmonauts Valeriy Kubasov and Aleksey Leonov.

S74-14949 (October 1974) --- Artist?s drawings and call-outs depict phases of the joint U.S.-USSR Apollo-Soyuz Test Project, an Earth-orbital mission which will feature rendezvous and docking of the respective spacecraft of the two nations. ASTP crewmen for the USSR include Aleksey A. Leonov and Valeriy N. Kubasov. The astronaut team includes astronauts Thomas P. Stafford, Vance D. Brand and Donald K. Slayton. The mission is scheduled to take place in summer 1975.

S74-29041 (September 1974) --- The commanders of the American astronaut and Soviet cosmonaut crews for the joint U.S.?USSR Apollo-Soyuz Test Project mission compare notes in a Soyuz spacecraft?s orbital module mock-up in Building 35 at the Johnson Space Center during a training and simulation exercise. They are Aleksey A. Leonov, right, and Thomas P. Stafford. The hatchway in the background leads to the Docking Module. The prime crewmen, along with backup crewmen, are training in both the U.S. and USSR for the joint mission scheduled for the summer of 1975.

Views of the Apollo 11 Twentieth Anniversary Black Tie reception at the downtown Houston Hyatt Regency Hotel. Views include former JSC Directors Robert Gilruth and Christopher C. Kraft Jr. reminiscing with keynote speaker Walter Cronkite (39934); Apollo astronauts Tom Stafford (left) and Neil Armstrong (right) talk with former Soviet cosmonaut Alexei Leonov (center) at the gala (39935).

S75-25823 (February 1975) --- Cosmonaut Aleksei A. Leonov (left) and astronaut Thomas P. Stafford display the Apollo Soyuz Test Project (ASTP) commemorative plaque. The two commanders, of their respective crews, are in the Apollo Command Module (CM) trainer at Building 35 at NASA's Johnson Space Center (JSC). Two plaques divided into four quarters each will be flown on the ASTP mission. The American ASTP Apollo crew will carry the four United States quarter pieces aboard Apollo; and the Soviet ASTP Soyuz 19 crew will carry the four USSR quarter sections aboard Soyuz. The eight quarter pieces will be joined together to form two complete commemorative plaques after the two spacecraft rendezvous and dock in Earth orbit. One complete plaque then will be returned to Earth by the astronauts; and the other complete plaque will be brought back by the cosmonauts. The plaque is written in both English and Russian. The Apollo crew will consist of astronauts Thomas P. Stafford, commander; Donald K. "Deke" Slayton, docking module pilot; Vance D. Brand, command module pilot. The Soyuz 19 crew will consist of cosmonauts Aleksei A. Leonov, command pilot; and Valeri N. Kubasov, flight engineer.

1421: At the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center in Star City, Russia, Expedition 40/41 Flight Engineer Alexander Gerst of the European Space Agency (right) shares a special moment with former cosmonaut Alexey Leonov, the first human to walk in space (left), during ceremonies May 15 to mark the crew’s departure for their launch site at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan for final pre-launch training. Gerst, NASA Flight Engineer Reid Wiseman and Soyuz Commander Max Suraev of the Russian Federal Space Agency (Roscosmos) will launch on May 29, Kazakh time, in the Soyuz TMA-13M spacecraft from Baikonur for a 5 ½ month mission on the International Space Station. NASA/Stephanie Stoll

At the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center in Star City, Russia, famed Russian cosmonaut Alexei Leonov (right) offers thoughts to the Expedition 27 prime crew members at a breakfast March 21, 2011 prior to their departure for their launch site at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. Expedition 27 crewmembers Ron Garan of NASA, flight engineer; Russian cosmonaut Alexander Samokutyaev, Soyuz commander; and Russian cosmonaut Andrey Borisenko, flight engineer, are scheduled to launch April 5 (Kazakhstan time) on the Soyuz TMA-21 spacecraft to the International Space Station. Photo credit: NASA/Stephanie Stoll

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- The Apollo Soyuz Test Project Saturn IB launch vehicle thundered away from KSC's Launch Complex 39B at 3:50 p.m. today. Aboard the Apollo Command Module were ASTP astronauts Thomas Stafford, Vance Brand and Donald Slayton. The astronauts will rendezvous and dock with a Soyuz spacecraft, launched this morning from the Baykonur launch facility in the Soviet Union, carrying Soviet cosmonauts Aleksey Leonov and Valeriy Kubasov. The ASTP launches mark the first time that manned spacecraft of two nations have met in space for joint engineering and scientific investigations.

STS071-118-004 (29 June 1995) --- Astronaut Robert L. Gibson, STS-71 commander, shakes the hand of cosmonaut Vladimir N. Dezhurov, Mir-18 commander. The historic handshake took place two and half weeks prior to the 20th anniversary of a similar in-space greeting between cosmonauts and astronauts participating in the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project (ASTP). On July 17, 1975, astronaut Thomas P. Stafford, NASA's ASTP commander, greeted his counterpart, Aleksey A. Leonov in a docking tunnel linking the Soyuz and Apollo spacecraft.

AST-09-572 (17-18 July 1975) --- The Soviet Soyuz 19 spacecraft is photographed from the American Apollo spacecraft during the joint U.S.-USSR Apollo-Soyuz Test Project (ASTP) docking mission in Earth orbit. Earth is visible in the lower left corner. This picture was taken with a 70mm camera. The Apollo crew consisted of astronauts Thomas P. Stafford, commander; Donald K. "Deke" Slayton, docking module pilot; and Vance D. Brand, command module pilot. The Soyuz 19 crew consisted of cosmonauts Aleksei A. Leonov, command pilot; and Valeri N. Kubasov, flight engineer.

At the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center in Star City, Russia, Expedition 37/38 Flight Engineer Michael Hopkins of NASA (center) shares a light moment with his backup, NASA’s Steve Swanson (left) and the first human to walk in space, Russian cosmonaut Alexei Leonov (right) Sept. 13 before Hopkins and Swanson departed with their other crewmates for the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. Hopkins, Soyuz Commander Oleg Kotov and Flight Engineer Sergey Ryazanskiy will launch from Baikonur Sept. 26, Kazakh time, in the Soyuz TMA-10M spacecraft for a five and a half month mission on the International Space Station. NASA/Stephanie Stoll

S74-28811 (23 Sept. 1974) --- The five prime crewmen of the joint U.S.-USSR Apollo-Soyuz Test Project mission are photographed in the Flight Crew Training Facility, Building 35, at the Johnson Space Center during ASTP crew training activity. They are, left to right, astronaut Donald K. Slayton, docking module pilot of the American crew; cosmonaut Valeriy N. Kubasov, engineer on the Soviet crew; cosmonaut Aleksey A. Leonov, commander of the Soviet crew; astronaut Thomas P. Stafford, commander of the American crew; and astronaut Vance D. Brand, command module pilot of the American crew.

At the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center in Star City, Russia, Russian cosmonaut Alexei Leonov (left), the first human to walk in space, shares a light moment with Expedition 37/38 Soyuz Commander Oleg Kotov (right) Sept. 13 before Kotov, Flight Engineer Sergey Ryazanskiy, Flight Engineer Michael Hopkins of NASA and their backups departed with their backup crewmates for the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. Hopkins, Kotov and Ryazanskiy will launch from Baikonur Sept. 26, Kazakh time, in the Soyuz TMA-10M spacecraft for a five and a half month mission on the International Space Station. NASA/Stephanie Stoll

S75-24114 (8-10 Feb. 1975) --- Two Walt Disney comic cartoon characters, Donald Duck and Pluto, were on hand to greet a group of Apollo-Soyuz Test Project (ASTP) crewmen on their arrival at Disney World near Orlando. From left, are interpreter K. S. Samofal, interpreter Nicholas Timacheff, cosmonaut Vladimir A. Shatalov, astronaut Vance D. Brand, astronaut Donald K. Slayton, cosmonaut Aleksey A. Leonov (squeezing Pluto's nose) and astronaut Thomas P. Stafford. The astronauts and cosmonauts were in Florida for a three-day inspection tour of NASA's Kennedy Space Center where they looked over ASTP launch facilities and flight hardware.

S75-22785 (25 Feb. 1975) --- An interior view of the Docking Module trainer, in Building 35, during Apollo-Soyuz Test Project (ASTP) joint crew training at NASA's Johnson Space Center (JSC). Astronaut Thomas P. Stafford, commander of the American ASTP prime crew, is on the right. The other crewman is cosmonaut Aleksky A. Leonov, commander of the Soviet ASTP prime crew. The training session simulated activities on the second day in Earth orbit. The American and Soviet crews will visit each other's spacecraft during the July 1975 docking mission in Earth orbit. The Docking Module is designed to link the Apollo and Soyuz spacecraft.

1433A: At the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center in Star City, Russia, Expedition 40/41 Flight Engineer Reid Wiseman of NASA (left) shares a special moment with former cosmonaut Alexey Leonov, the first human to walk in space, during ceremonies May 15 to mark the crew’s departure for their launch site at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan for final pre-launch training. Wiseman, Soyuz Commander Max Suraev of the Russian Federal Space Agency (Roscosmos) and Flight Engineer Alexander Gerst of the European Space Agency will launch on May 29, Kazakh time, in the Soyuz TMA-13M spacecraft from Baikonur for a 5 ½ month mission on the International Space Station. NASA/Stephanie Stoll

S74-25259 (June 1974) --- Four crewmen of the joint U.S.-USSR Apollo-Soyuz Test Project mission are photographed beside a Soyuz spacecraft trainer during ASTP crew training activity at the Cosmonaut Training Center (Star City) near Moscow. They are, left to right, astronaut Donald K. Slayton, docking module pilot of the American ASTP prime crew; cosmonaut Valeriy N. Kubasov, engineer of the Soviet ASTP first (prime) crew; cosmonaut Aleksey A. Leonov, commander of the Soviet ASTP first (prime) crew; and astronaut Thomas P. Stafford, commander of the American ASTP prime crew.

S75-21716 (19 Feb. 1975) --- Prime crew commanders for the joint U.S.-USSR Apollo-Soyuz Test Project (ASTP) take a break from busy simulations at NASA's Johnson Space Center (JSC) to enjoy a lighter moment. Cosmonaut Aleksey A. Leonov sticks his head through the Soyuz orbital module mock-up in the Flight Crew Training Facility (Building 35) at JSC, while his American counterpart, astronaut Thomas P. Stafford, looks on. The two men were pausing from a simulation of joint crew second-day ASTP activities.

Alexei Leonov (left), the first human to walk in space in March 1965, has a word with the daughter of Expedition 36/37 Flight Engineer Luca Parmitano of the European Space Agency (right) during traditional ceremonies May 16 at the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center in Star City, Russia. Afterward, Parmitano, Flight Engineer Karen Nyberg of NASA and Soyuz Commander Fyodor Yurchikhin flew to their launch site at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan for final preparations for launch May 29, Kazakh time, in the Soyuz TMA-09M spacecraft and the start of a 5 ½ month mission on the International Space Station. NASA/Stephanie Stoll

S75-22410 (March 1975) --- These five men compose the two prime crews of the joint United States-USSR Apollo-Soyuz Test Project (ASTP) docking mission in Earth orbit scheduled for July 1975. They are astronaut Thomas P. Stafford (standing on left), commander of the American crew; cosmonaut Aleksey A. Leonov (standing on right), commander of the Soviet crew; astronaut Donald K. Slayton (seated on left), docking module pilot of the American crew; astronaut Vance D. Brand (seated center), command module pilot of the American crew; and cosmonaut Valeriy N. Kubasov (seated on right), engineer on the Soviet crew.

S75-21599 (12 Feb. 1975) --- Six Apollo-Soyuz Test Project crewmen participate in joint crew training in Building 35 at the Johnson Space Center. They are (wearing flight suits), left to right, astronaut Thomas P. Stafford, commander of the American ASTP prime crew; astronaut Donald K. Slayton, docking module pilot on Stafford?s crew; cosmonaut Valeriy N. Kubasov, engineer on the Soviet ASTP first (prime) crew; astronaut Vance D. Brand, command module pilot on Stafford?s crew; cosmonaut Aleksey A. Leonov, commander of the Soviet ASTP first (prime) crew; and cosmonaut Vladimir A. Dzhanibekov, commander of the Soviet ASTP third (backup) crew. Brand is seated next to the hatch of the Apollo Command Module trainer. This picture was taken during a ?walk-through? of the first day?s activities in Earth orbit. The other men are interpreters and training personnel.

S75-22770 (25 Feb. 1975) --- Two American ASTP prime crewmen have a meal with the Soviet ASTP first (prime) crewmen during Apollo-Soyuz Test Project joint crew training at NASA's Johnson Space Center. The four are inside the Soyuz orbital module mock-up in Building 35. They are, left to right, astronaut Donald K. Slayton, docking module pilot of the American crew; cosmonaut Aleksey A. Leonov, commander of the Soviet crew; astronaut Thomas P. Stafford, commander of the American crew; and cosmonaut Valeriy N. Kubasov, engineer on the Soviet crew. The training session simulated activities on the second day in Earth orbit. During the actual mission the other American crewmen, astronaut Vance D. Brand, command module pilot, would be in the Command Module.

With the statue of Vladimir Lenin serving as a backdrop, Expedition 36/37 Flight Engineer Karen Nyberg of NASA (left), Soyuz Commander Fyodor Yurchikhin (center) and Flight Engineer Luca Parmitano of the European Space Agency (right) answer questions from reporters May 16 at the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center in Star City, Russia. The activity marked the departure of the crew for their launch site at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan for final preparations for their launch May 29, Kazakh time, in the Soyuz TMA-09M spacecraft and the start of a 5 ½ month mission on the International Space Station. In the background on the far right is former cosmonaut Alexei Leonov, who conducted the first spacewalk in history in March 1965. NASA/Stephanie Stoll

S75-33375 (15 July 1975) --- The Soviet Soyuz space vehicle, with cosmonauts Aleksey A. Leonov and Valeriy N. Kubasov aboard, is launched on the morning of July 15, 1975 from a pad at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazahstan to begin the joint U.S.-USSR Apollo-Soyuz Test Project docking mission in Earth orbit. The Soyuz space vehicle is composed of the three-stage launch vehicle, the two-man, three-module Soyuz spacecraft and the launch escape system. The Soviet spacecraft (Soyuz 19) was launched seven and one-half hours before the American ASTP/Apollo-Saturn 1B liftoff from Kennedy Space Center (KSC), Florida. The American and Soviet spacecraft were joined together in space for approximately 47 hours on July 17-18-19, 1975. This picture was reproduced from a frame of 35mm film furnished by the USSR in an exchange of photography taken during the mission. PHOTO COURTESY: USSR ACADEMY OF SCIENCES

S75-24030 (8-10 Feb. 1975) --- The five prime crew members of the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project (ASTP) mission pose for a group photograph while at NASA's Kennedy Space Center (KSC) for a three-day inspection tour. They are, left to right, astronaut Donald K. (Deke) Slayton, docking module pilot of the American crew; astronaut Vance D. Brand, command module pilot of the American crew; astronaut Thomas P. Stafford, commander of the American crew; cosmonaut Aleksey A. Leonov, commander of the Soviet crew; and cosmonaut Valeriy N. Kubasov, engineer of the Soviet crew. They were at KSC to look over launch facilities and flight hardware. They are standing in front of artist Robert McCall?s painting of an ASTP docking in Earth orbit.

S75-24052 (8-10 Feb. 1975) --- A space-suited Mickey Mouse character welcomes the prime crewmen of the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project mission to Florida?s Disney World near Orlando. The crewmen made a side-trip to Disney World during a three-day inspection tour of NASA's Kennedy Space Center. The crewmen were at KSC to look over launch facilities and flight hardware. Receiving the jovial Disney World welcome are, left to right, cosmonaut Valeriy N. Kubasov, engineer on the Soviet crew; astronaut Donald K. Slayton, docking module pilot of the American crew; astronaut Vance D. Brand, command module pilot of the American crew; cosmonaut Aleksey A. Leonov, commander of the Soviet crew; astronaut Thomas P. Stafford, commander of the American crew; and cosmonaut Vladimir A. Shatalov, Chief of Cosmonaut Training for the USSR.

At the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center in Star City, Russia, famed Russian cosmonaut Alexei Leonov (right) toasted the Expedition 27 prime and backup crew members at a breakfast March 21, 2011 prior to their departure for their launch site at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. From left to right are prime crew members Ron Garan of NASA, flight engineer; Russian cosmonaut Alexander Samokutyaev, Soyuz commander; and Russian cosmonaut Andrey Borisenko, flight engineer, along with backup crew members Anatoly Ivanishin and Anton Shklaperov of Russia and Daniel Burbank of NASA. Garan, Samokutyaev and Borisenko are scheduled to launch April 5 (Kazakhstan time) on the Soyuz TMA-21 spacecraft to the International Space Station. Photo credit: NASA/Stephanie Stoll

AST-03-171 (17 July 1975) --- The hands of cosmonaut Valerly N. Kubasov are seen as the ASTP engineer adds his name to the signature on the Soviet side of the official joint certificate marking an historical moment during the rendezvous day of the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project. The left hand of astronaut Donald K. Slayton, NASA's docking module pilot, is seen at left. The certificate had earlier been signed by astronauts Thomas P. Stafford, American crew commander; Slayton and cosmonaut Aleksey A. Leonov, Soviet crew commander, and it awaits the signature of astronaut Vance D. Brand, NASA's command module pilot who remained in the CM while the others signed in the Soviet Orbital Module of the Soyuz.

At the Gagarin Cosmonaut Center in Star City, Russia, Ann Marshburn (center), the wife of Expedition 34/35 Flight Engineer Tom Marshburn of NASA and their daughter Grace, look on as the bus carrying Marshburn and his crewmates, Soyuz Commander Roman Romanenko and Flight Engineer Chris Hadfield of the Canadian Space Agency departed for the airport Dec. 6, 2012 to take them to their launch site in Baikonur, Kazakhstan for final training. To the left of Ann Marshburn is former Russian cosmonaut Alexey Leonov, the first human to walk in space in 1965 and to her right is Michael Surber, NASA’s Director of Human Spaceflight Operations in Russia. Marshburn, Romanenko and Hadfield will launch from the Baikonur Cosmodrome Dec. 19 on their Soyuz TMA-07M spacecraft to spend five months on the International Space Station. Photo Credit: NASA/Stephanie Stoll

S75-25941 (April 1975) --- An Apollo-Soyuz Test Project (ASTP) symbolic painting by artist Bert Winthrop of Rockwell International Space Division, Downey, California. The artwork is composed of the ASTP mission insignia, the docked Apollo-Soyuz spacecraft, and portraits of the five ASTP prime crewmen, all superimposed against Earth's sphere in the center of the picture. The launches of both the American ASTP space vehicle (on left) and the Soviet ASTP space vehicle are depicted in the lower right corner. The five crewmen are, clockwise from the ASTP emblem, astronaut Thomas P. Stafford, commander of the American crew; astronaut Donald K. Slayton, docking module pilot of the American crew; astronaut Vance D. Brand, command module pilot of the American crew; cosmonaut Valeriy N. Kubasov, engineer on the Soviet crew; and cosmonaut Aleksey A. Leonov, commander of the Soviet crew. The joint U.S.-USSR ASTP docking mission in Earth orbit is scheduled for July 1975.

S74-29892 (7 Sept. 1974) --- President Gerald R. Ford removes the Soviet Soyuz spacecraft model from a model set depicting the 1975 Apollo-Soyuz Test Project, an Earth orbital docking and rendezvous mission involving crewmen from the U.S. and USSR, who visited Mr. Ford at the White House. The cosmonauts and astronauts are, left to right, Vladimir A. Shatalov, Chief, Cosmonaut Training; Valeriy N. Kubasov, ASTP Soviet engineer; Aleksey A. Leonov, ASTP Soviet crew commander; Thomas P. Stafford, ASTP American crew commander; Donald K. Slayton, American crew?s docking module pilot; and Vance D. Brand, command module pilot for the U.S. team. Dr. George M. Low, Deputy Administrator, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, is partially obscured behind Mr. Ford.

AST-01-056 (18 July 1975) --- An excellent view of the Soviet Soyuz spacecraft in Earth orbit, photographed from the American Apollo spacecraft during the joint U.S.-USSR Apollo-Soyuz Test Project (ASTP) docking mission in Earth orbit. The Soyuz is contrasted against a white-cloud background in this overhead view. The three major components of the Soyuz are the spherical-shaped Orbital Module, the bell-shaped Descent Vehicle and the cylindrical-shaped instrument Assembly Module from which two solar panels protrude. The docking system on the Orbital Module was specially designed to interface with the docking system on the Apollo's Docking Module. The ASTP astronauts and cosmonauts visited each other's spacecraft while the Soyuz and Apollo were docked in Earth orbit for two days. The Apollo crew consisted of astronauts Stafford, commander; Donald K. "Deke" Slayton, docking module pilot; and Vance D. Brand, command module pilot. The Soyuz 19 crew consisted of cosmonauts Leonov, command pilot; and Valeri N. Kubasov, flight engineer.

S75-20361 (27 Feb. 1975) --- This is the American crew insignia of the joint United States-USSR Apollo-Soyuz Test Project (ASTP) scheduled to take place in July 1975. Of circular design, the insignia has a colorful border area, outlined in red, with the names of the five crew members and the words Apollo in English and Soyuz in Russian around an artist?s concept of the Apollo and Soyuz spacecraft about to dock in Earth orbit. The bright sun and the blue and white Earth are in the background. The white stars on the blue background represent American astronauts Thomas P. Stafford, commander; Vance D. Brand, command module pilot; and Donald (Deke) K. Slayton, docking module pilot. The dark gold stars on the red background represent Soviet cosmonauts Aleksey A. Leonov, commander, and Valeriy N. Kubasov, engineer. Soyuz and Apollo will be launched separately from the USSR and United States, and will dock and remain together for as long as two days. The three Apollo astronauts will enter Soyuz and the two Soviet cosmonauts will visit the Apollo spacecraft via a docking module. The Russian word ?soyuz? means ?union? in English.

This artist's concept depicts the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project (ASTP) with insets of photographs of three U.S. astronauts (Thomas Stafford, Vance Brand, and Donald Slayton) and two U.S.S.R. cosmonauts (Alexei Leonov and Valeri Kubasov). The objective of the ASTP mission was to accomplish the first docking of a standardized international system, the U.S.'s Apollo spacecraft and the U.S.S.R.'s Soyuz spacecraft, in space. The Soyuz spacecraft was launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome near Tyuratam in the Kazakh, Soviet Socialist Republic, at 8:20 a.m. (EDT) on July 15, 1975. The Apollo spacecraft was launched from Launch Complex 39B, Kennedy Space Center, Florida, at 3:50 p.m. (EDT) on July 15, 1975. The Primary objectives of the ASTP were achieved. They performed spacecraft rendezvous, docking and undocking, conducted intervehicular crew transfer, and demonstrated the interaction of U.S. and U.S.S.R. control centers and spacecraft crews. The mission marked the last use of a Saturn launch vehicle. The Marshall Space Flight Center was responsible for development and sustaining engineering of the Saturn IB launch vehicle during the mission.

This artist's concept depicts the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project (ASTP), the first international docking of the U.S.'s Apollo spacecraft and the U.S.S.R.'s Soyuz spacecraft in space. The objective of the ASTP mission was to provide the basis for a standardized international system for docking of marned spacecraft. The Soyuz spacecraft, with Cosmonauts Alexei Leonov and Valeri Kubasov aboard, was launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome near Tyuratam in the Kazakh, Soviet Socialist Republic, at 8:20 a.m. (EDT) on July 15, 1975. The Apollo spacecraft, with Astronauts Thomas Stafford, Vance Brand, and Donald Slayton aboard, was launched from Launch Complex 39B, Kennedy Space Center, Florida, at 3:50 p.m. (EDT) on July 15, 1975. The Primary objectives of the ASTP were achieved. They performed spacecraft rendezvous, docking and undocking, conducted intervehicular crew transfer, and demonstrated the interaction of U.S. and U.S.S.R. control centers and spacecraft crews. The mission marked the last use of a Saturn launch vehicle. The Marshall Space Flight Center was responsible for development and sustaining engineering of the Saturn IB launch vehicle during the mission.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – The Apollo Soyuz Test Project Saturn IB launch vehicle thundered away from KSC’s Launch Complex 39B at 3:50 p.m. today. Aboard the Apollo Command Module were ASTP Astronauts Thomas Stafford, Vance Brand and Donald Slayton. The astronauts will rendezvous and dock with a Soyuz spacecraft, launched this morning from the Baikonur launch facility in the Soviet Union, carrying Soviet cosmonauts Aleksey Leonov and Valeriy Kubasov. The first international crewed spaceflight was a joint U.S.-U.S.S.R. rendezvous and docking mission. The Apollo-Soyuz Test Project, or ASTP, took its name from the spacecraft employed: the American Apollo and the Soviet Soyuz. The three-man Apollo crew lifted off from Kennedy Space Center aboard a Saturn IB rocket on July 15, 1975, to link up with the Soyuz that had launched a few hours earlier. A cylindrical docking module served as an airlock between the two spacecraft for transfer of the crew members. Photo credit: NASA

AST-32-2686 (17-19 July 1975) --- The American Apollo spacecraft as seen in Earth orbit from the Soviet Soyuz 19 spacecraft during the joint U.S.-USSR Apollo Soyuz Test Project (ASTP) mission. The Command and Service Module (CSM) and Docking Module (DM) are contrasted against a black-sky background. Light reflected in the camera streaks the image. Note the docking mechanism and docking target on the DM. On the left the bell-shaped engine nozzle of the service propulsion system protrudes from the rear of the Service Module (SM). The American and Soviet spacecraft were joined together in space for approximately 47 hours on July 17, 18, 19, 1975. This picture was furnished by the USSR in an exchange of photography taken during the ASTP flight. The Apollo crew consisted of astronauts Thomas P. Stafford, commander; Donald K. "Deke" Slayton, docking module pilot; and Vance D. Brand, command module pilot. The Soyuz 19 crew consisted of cosmonauts Aleksei A. Leonov, command pilot; and Valeri N. Kubasov, flight engineer.