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 its founding, the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) inherited the Army’s Jupiter and Redstone test stands, but much larger facilities were needed for the giant stages of the Saturn V. From 1960 to 1964, the existing stands were remodeled and a sizable new test area was developed. The new comprehensive test complex for propulsion and structural dynamics was unique within the nation and the free world, and they remain so today because they were constructed with foresight to meet the future as well as on going needs. Construction of the S-IC Static test stand complex began in 1961 in the west test area of MSFC, and was completed in 1964. The S-IC static test stand was originally designed to develop and test the 138-ft long and 33-ft diameter Saturn V S-IC first stage, or booster stage. Modifications to the S-IC Test Stand began in 1975 to accommodate space shuttle external tank testing. This photo, taken from the roof of the block house on October 14, 1975, provides an overall view of the stand during the modification process.

S75-29715 (24 July 1975) --- A team of U.S. Navy swimmers assists with the recovery of the ASTP Apollo Command Module following its splashdown in the Central Pacific Ocean to conclude the historic joint U.S.-USSR Apollo-Soyuz Test Project docking mission in Earth orbit. The swimmers have already attached a flotation collar to the spacecraft. The CM touched down in the Hawaiian Islands area at 4:18 p.m. (CDT), July 24, 1975. The crewmen, astronauts Thomas P. Stafford, Vance D. Brand and Donald K. Slayton, remained in the CM until it was hoisted aboard the prime recovery ship, the USS New Orleans.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- NASA_APOLLO-SOYUZ: Fit checks were performed in an altitude chamber at KSC today between the Apollo spacecraft and the Docking Module to be used during the Apollo Soyuz Test Project.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- The Commanding Officer of the USS New Orleans, Captain Ralph E. Neiger, welcomes aboard ASTP astronauts Thomas Stafford, Donald Slayton and Vance Brand. The astronauts splashed down in the Pacific Ocean west of Hawaii at 5:18 p.m. today, ending the nine-day ASTP mission. Themission was highlighted by the rendezvous and docking with a Soviet Soyuz spacecraft in Earth orbit.

Oblique wing in 11ft. wind tunnel with R. T. Jones. Test-11-026.

S75-27287 (May 1975) --- An artist?s concept depicting an American Apollo spacecraft docked with a Soviet Soyuz spacecraft in Earth orbit. This view is looking toward the aft end of Soyuz, with the Apollo in the background. Two solar panels protrude out from the instrument assembly module of the Soyuz. The glow on Earth?s horizon is seen on the left. During the joint U.S.-USSR Apollo-Soyuz Test Project mission, scheduled for July 1975, the American and Soviet crews will visit one another?s spacecraft while the Soyuz and Apollo are docked for a maximum period of two days. This artwork is by Paul Fjeld.

Practical Oblique Wing Test-026) in 11ft w.t. with R. T. Jones and test engineer

The Titan III/Centaur, Viking 1, is sitting on the launch pad ready for blast off. The launch occurred on August 20, 1975. The mission was for the scientific investigation of Mars, and United States’ first attempt to soft land a spacecraft on another planet.

Space Shuttle Orbiter 101 model installation in the NASA Ames 40x80ft Subsonic Wind Tunnel. Test-462

Low-altitude, high-angle view of Houston downtown area. This view was photographed to show convention central part of downtown to promote facilities here for hosting large conventions, etc. 1. JSC PROTOCOL - CONVENTIONS HOUSTON, TX

A researcher sets up equipment in the Space Power Chamber at National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s (NASA) Plum Brook Station to study the effects of contaminants on clouds. Drs. Rosa and Jorge Pena of Pennsylvania State University's Department of Meteorology initiated the program in an effort to develop methods of creating stable, long-lasting clouds in a test chamber in order to study their composition and formation. The researchers then wanted to use the artificially-created clouds to determine how they were affected by pollution. The 100-foot diameter and 122-foot high Space Power Chamber is the largest vacuum chamber in the world. The researchers covered the circular walls with muslin. A recirculating water system saturated the cloth. The facility engineers then reduced the chamber’s pressure which released the water from the muslin and generated a cloud. The researchers produced five different clouds in this first portion of this study. They discovered that they could not create stable clouds because of the heat generated by the water-pumping equipment. Nonetheless, they felt confident enough to commence planning the second phase of the program using a heat exchanger to cool the equipment.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- As seen from the Mobile Service Structure as it is being rolled back to its park site, the ASTP Saturn IB launch vehicle sits on its pedestal during the Countdown Demonstration Test. The test is a step-by-step dress rehearsal for the July 15 mission, which culminates with a simulated T-zero and launch with the stages of the rocket fueled as they will be on launch day. Following the simulated launch, the propellants will be offloaded. The terminal portion of the test will be repeated tomorrow with the ASTP astronauts Thomas Stafford, Vance Brand and Donald Slayton aboard the spacecraft.

AST-32-2691 (17-19 July 1975) --- The American Apollo spacecraft as seen in Earth orbit from the Soviet Soyuz spacecraft during the joint U.S.-USSR Apollo-Soyuz Test Project mission. The Command/Service Module and Docking Module are contrasted against a black-sky background. This is a near "head on" view of the Apollo. This picture was furnished by the USSR in an exchange of photography taken during the ASTP flight. Note the docking mechanism and docking target on the Docking Module. The four dish-like reflectors of the unified S-band high-gain antenna protrude from the side of the Service Module. The American and Soviet spacecraft were joined together in space for approximately 47 hours on July 17-18-19, 1975. PHOTO COURTESY: USSR ACADEMY OF SCIENCES

S75-29717 (24 July 1975) --- The ASTP Apollo Command Module, with astronauts Thomas P. Stafford, Vance D. Brand and Donald K. Slayton still inside, awaits pickup by the prime recovery ship, the USS New Orleans, following splashdown in the Central Pacific Ocean to conclude the historic joint U.S.-USSR Apollo-Soyuz Test Project docking mission in Earth orbit. The CM touchdown occurred in the Hawaiian Islands area at 4:18 p.m. (CDT), July 24, 1975. A team of U.S. Navy swimmers assists with the recovery operations. A recovery helicopter hovers overhead.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- The ASTP Apollo Command Module is lowered onto the deck of the USS New Orleans following splashdown in the Pacific Ocean, west of Hawaii, at 5:18 p.m. today. Once aboard the ship, the ASTP astronauts Thomas Stafford, Vance Brand, and Donald Slayton emerged from the spacecraft and participated in ceremonies during which they spoke by telephone to President Gerald Ford. The splashdown ended the crew's historic nine-day mission, highlighted by their rendezvous and docking with a Soviet Soyuz spacecraft while in Earth orbit.

S75-21063 (January 1975) --- The three members of the American ASTP backup crew are suited up for the testing of the Apollo spacecraft at the Kennedy Space Center. They are (from foreground) astronauts Alan L. Bean, commander; Ronald E. Evans, command module pilot; and Jack R. Lousma, docking module pilot. Later, they entered the Apollo Command Module in an altitude chamber for tests of spacecraft systems. The testing was in preparation for the joint U.S.?USSR Apollo-Soyuz Test Project docking mission in Earth orbit scheduled for July 1975.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Astronaut Donald Slayton is shown in the Apollo Command Module for July's Apollo-Soyuz Test Project space mission. Slayton was at KSC for fit checks between the Apollo and the Docking Module, which will be used during the mission as a link between the Soviet Soyuz and American Apollo.

AST-01-042 (16 July 1975) --- An oblique view of unique cloud patterns over the Pacific Ocean caused by aircraft contrail shadows altering cumulus clouds and forming straight line clouds, as photographed from the Apollo spacecraft in Earth orbit during the joint U.S.-USSR Apollo-Soyuz Test Project mission. This area is southwest of Los Angeles, California. This photograph was taken at an altitude of 177 kilometers (110 statute miles) with a 70mm Hasselblad camera using medium-speed Ektachrome QX-807 type film.

S75-28547 (15 July 1975) --- The Apollo-Soyuz Test Project's (ASTP) NASA Apollo/Saturn 1B space vehicle is launched from Pad B, Launch Complex 39, Kennedy Space Center (KSC), Florida, at 3:50 p.m. (EDT), July 15, 1975, to begin Apollo's catch-up journey toward the already Earth-orbiting Soviet Soyuz spacecraft. Aboard the Apollo spacecraft were astronauts Thomas P. Stafford, Vance D. Brand and Donald K. (Deke) Slayton.

AST-32-2695 (17-19 July 1975) --- The American Apollo spacecraft as seen in Earth orbit from the Soviet Soyuz spacecraft during the joint U.S.-USSR Apollo-Soyuz Test Project mission. The Command/Service Module and Docking Module are contrasted against a black-sky background. The horizon of Earth is below. This picture was furnished by the USSR in an exchange of photography taken during the ASTP flight. The bell-shaped engine nozzle of the service propulsion system protrudes from the rear of the Service Module. Note the docking mechanism on the Docking Module. The American and Soviet spacecraft were joined together in space for approximately 47 hours on July 17-18-19, 1975. PHOTO COURTESY: USSR ACADEMY OF SCIENCES

AST-06-344 (15-24 July 1975) --- Two American ASTP crewmen, astronauts Thomas P. Stafford (foreground) and Vance D. Brand are seen in the Apollo Command Module during the joint U.S.-USSR Apollo-Soyuz Test Project docking mission in Earth orbit. This picture was taken with a 35mm camera.

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.

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.

S75-27289 (May 1975) --- An artist?s concept depicting the American Apollo spacecraft docked with a Soviet Soyuz spacecraft in Earth orbit. During the joint U.S.-USSR Apollo-Soyuz Test Project mission, scheduled for July 1975, the American and Soviet crews will visit one another?s spacecraft while the Soyuz and Apollo are docked for a maximum period of two days. The mission is designed to test equipment and techniques that will establish international crew rescue capability in space, as well as permit future cooperative scientific missions. Each nation has developed separately docking systems based on a mutually agreeable single set of interface design specifications. The major new U.S. program elements are the docking module and docking system necessary to achieve compatibility of rendezvous and docking systems with the USSR-developed hardware to be used on the Soyuz spacecraft. The DM and docking system together with an Apollo Command/Service Module will be launched by a Saturn 1B launch vehicle. This artwork is by Paul Fjeld.

A TV reporter interviews NASA test pilot Bill Dana, wearing his infamous pink boots with yellow daisy decals, after the last powered flight of the X-24B.

S75-28229 (8 July 1975) --- The three American ASTP prime crew astronauts participate in a photography mission briefing in Building 5 with Dr. Farouk El-Baz (wearing face mask) during Apollo-Soyuz Test Project preflight activity at NASA's Johnson Space Center. They are, left to right, Thomas P. Stafford, commander; Vance D. Brand, command module pilot; Dr. El-Baz; and Donald K. Slayton, docking module pilot. Dr. El-Baz is with the Center for Earth and Planetary Studies, National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution. The face mask is to protect the crewmen from possible exposure to disease prior to launch time. Photo credit: NASA

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Erection of the first stage of the Delta launch vehicle for Symphonie-B at Complex 17-A on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. Photo credit: NASA

AST-27-2341 (20 July 1975) --- A near vertical view of sand dunes in the San Juan Province of Western Argentina, as photographed from the Apollo spacecraft in Earth orbit during the joint U.S.-USSR Apollo-Soyuz Test Project mission. The picture was taken at an altitude of 220 kilometers (136 statute miles) with a 70mm Hasselblad camera using medium-speed Ektachrome QX-807 type film.

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.

S75-30515 (18 July 1975) --- President Gerald R. Ford watches ASTP crewmen Thomas P. Stafford, Donald K. Slayton and Valeriy N. Kubasov on television as he talks to them via radio-telephone while they orbited Earth on July 18, 1975. The American Apollo spacecraft and Soviet Soyuz spacecraft were docked. The five ASTP crewmen visited each other?s spacecraft while the Soyuz and Apollo were linked in space.

S75-28387 (2 July 1975) --- A nighttime view of Pad B, Launch Complex 39, Kennedy Space Center, showing the ASTP Apollo/Saturn 1B space vehicle on the pad during Apollo-Soyuz Test Project prelaunch preparations. An ASTP countdown demonstration ?wet? test (CDDT) was being conducted at KSC when this photograph was taken. The liftoff was on July 15, 1975.

This illustration is a schematic of the High Energy Astronomy Observatory (HEAO)-2 and its experiments. It shows the focal plane instruments (at the right) plus the associated electronics for operating the telescope as it transmitted its observations to the ground. A fifth instrument, the Monitor Proportional Counter, is located near the front of the telescope. Four separate astronomical instruments are located at the focus of this telescope and they could be interchanged for different types of observations as the observatory pointed at interesting areas of the Sky. Two of these instruments produced images; a High Resolution Imaging Detector and an Imaging Proportional Counter. The other two instruments, the Solid State Spectrometer and the Crystal Spectrometer, measured the spectra of x-ray objects. A fifth instrument, the Monitor Proportional Counter, continuously viewed space independently to study a wider band of x-ray wavelengths and to examine the rapid time variations in the sources. The HEAO-2 was nicknamed the Einstein Observatory by its scientific experimenters in honor of the centernial of the birth of Albert Einstein, whose concepts of relativity and gravitation have influenced much of modern astrophysics, particularly x-ray astronomy. The HEAO-2, designed and developed by TRW, Inc. under the project management of the Marshall Space Flight Center, was launched aboard an Atlas/Centaur launch vehicle on November 13, 1978. The HEAO-2 was originally identified as HEAO-B but the designation was changed once the spacecraft achieved orbit.

AST-05-290 (17-19 July 1975) --- Astronaut Donald K. Slayton, docking module pilot of the American ASTP crew, is seen in the hatchway leading between the Apollo Docking Module and the Soyuz Orbital Module during the joint U.S.-USSR Apollo-Soyuz Test Project docking mission in Earth orbit. The 35mm camera was looking from the Soyuz into the Docking Module.

S75-21836 (20 Feb. 1975) --- Cosmonaut Anatoliy V. Filipchenko, commander of the Soviet ASTP second (backup) crew, participates in Apollo-Soyuz Test Project joint crew training in Building 35 at NASA's Johnson Space Center. Filipchenko is in the Apollo Command Module trainer. This picture was taken from inside the Docking Module during a ?walk-through? of the second day?s activities in Earth orbit.

CV-990 (NASA-712) Galileo II aircraft in flight over the San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge. A digital navigation, guidance and autopilot system tested on Galileo 1 and Galileo II in 1975 looked at the feasibility of energy-management approach concepts for an unpowered vehicle. Flight tests carried out by pilot Fred Drinkwater with technical direction by Fred Edwards and John D Foster along with significant input from Gordon Hardy on the pilot's system interface. Note: Used in publication in Flight Research at Ames; 57 Years of Development and Validation of Aeronautical Technology NASA SP-1998-3300 fig 95 ref 99

S75-23431 (8 March 1975) --- Astronaut Donald K. Slayton attaches his life preserver as he egresses an Apollo Command Module trainer in a water tank in Building 260 during water egress training at NASA's Johnson Space Center. The crewmen exit through the hatch when the CM is in this stable I (apex up) position; and they egress through the tunnel when the CM is in a stable II (apex down) position. Astronauts Vance D. Brand (on left) and Thomas P. Stafford have already egressed the trainer and are seated in a three-man life raft. This training session was part of the preparations for the joint U.S.-USSR Apollo-Soyuz Test Project docking mission in Earth orbit scheduled for July 1975. These three men compose the American ASTP prime crew. Stafford is the commander, Brand is the command module pilot, and Slayton is the docking module pilot.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- The mated orbiter and lander for Viking A were encapsulated within a Centaur shroud at Spacecraft Assembly and Encapsulation Facility 2 (SAEF-2) today. The spacecraft, one of two to be launched toward Mars atop Titan_Centaurs in August, is to be moved to Launch Complex 41 on March 31 for extensive testing. KSC's Unmanned Launch Operations Directorate is scheduled to launch the twin Vikings during a 10-day period in August.

AST-08-499 (15-24 July 1975) --- Astronaut Vance D. Brand, command module pilot of the American ASTP crew, is seen at the controls of the Apollo Command Module during the joint U.S.-USSR Apollo-Soyuz Test Project docking mission in Earth orbit. This picture was taken with a 35mm camera.

Hans Mark, Ames Director meets and greets visiting Congressman Lou Frey & Congressman Don Fugua

A 1-foot long stator blade with a thermal coating subjected to intense heat in order to test its strength at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Lewis Research Center. Lewis researchers sought to determine optimal types of ceramic coatings to increase the durability of metals. The research was primarily intended to support the design of stator blades for high-performance axial-flow compressor and turbofan engines. The coatings reduced the temperature of the metal and the amount of required cooling. As engines became more and more sophisticated, compressor blades were required to withstand higher and higher temperatures. Lewis researchers developed a dual-layer thermal-barrier coating that could be applied to turbine vanes and blades and combustion liners. This new sprayable thermal-barrier coating was evaluated for its durability, strength, fatigue, and aerodynamic penalties. This hot-gas rig fired the scorching gas at the leading edge of a test blade. The blade was cooled by an internal air flow. The blades were heated at two different velocities during the program. When using Mach 0.3 gases the entire heating and cooling cycle only lasted 30 seconds. The cycle lasted 60 minutes during tests at Mach 1.

AST-17-1378 (20 July 1975) --- A near vertical view of the most southerly portion of the Island of Sicily in the Mediterranean Sea, as photographed from the Apollo spacecraft in Earth orbit during the joint U.S.-USSR Apollo-Soyuz Test Project mission. This view includes the towns of Gala, Pachino, Avela and Pozzalo. The photograph was taken at an altitude of 228 kilometers (141 statute miles) with a 70mm Hasselblad camera using high-definition aerial Ektachrome SO-242 type film.

Space Shuttle re-entry art

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Members of the Pacific Recovery Task Force secure the ASTP Apollo spacecraft as the USS New Orleans approaches to pick up the spacecraft and astronauts Thomas Stafford, Vance Brand and Donald Slayton. The Apollo splashed down in the Pacific Ocean, west of Hawaii, at 5:18 p.m., ending the nine-day joint US_USSR space mission.

Controllable Twist Rotor test installed in 40x80ft w.t. W/B Mandwyler, A Lemnios, J McCloud, in wheelchair (airburshed image)

Artist: Rick Guidice interior of Torus wheel (L-5) Space Colonization Module

Oblique wing in 11ft. wind tunnel with R. T. Jones. Test 11-026.

S75-27290 (April 1975) --- An artist?s concept illustrating a cutaway view of the docked Apollo and Soyuz spacecraft in Earth orbit. This scene depicts the moment the two international crews meet in space for the first time. Two of the three American crewmen are in the Docking Module. The two Soviet crewmen are in the Soyuz spacecraft?s Orbital Module. The two crew commanders are shaking hands through the hatchway. The third American crewman is in the Apollo Command Module. During the joint U.S.-USSR Apollo-Soyuz Test Project mission, which is scheduled for July 1975, the American and Soviet crews will visit one another?s spacecraft while the Soyuz and Apollo are docked for a maximum period of two days. The mission is designed to test equipment and techniques that will establish international crew rescue capability in space, as well as permit future cooperative scientific missions. The artwork is by Davis Meltzer.

AST-02-130 (20 July 1975) --- An oblique view of a portion of Libya and the Arab Republic of Egypt, as photographed from the Apollo spacecraft in Earth orbit during the joint U.S.-USSR Apollo-Soyuz Test Project mission. The geological features are the Jebel Uweinat and Jebel Arkenu basaltic mountains in the Libyan sand sea. This picture was taken with a 70mm Hasselblad camera using medium-speed Ektachrome QX-807 type film. The spacecraft was at an altitude of 219 kilometers (136 statute miles).

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Technicians check out the Symphonie-B spacecraft during launch preparations at KSC. Symphonie is a synchronous-orbit communications satellite, jointly owned and managed by West Germany and France. Photo credit: NASA

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

S75-24026 (4 Feb. 1975) --- A group of Soviet and American ASTP officials during a tour of the Kennedy Space Center. They were photographed next to the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project docking in Earth orbit mock-up at KSC.

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.

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-16-1132 (20 July 1975) --- A vertical view of the eastern portion of the state of South Australia in Australia, as photographed from the Apollo spacecraft in Earth orbit during the joint U.S.-USSR Apollo-Soyuz Test Project mission. The highlands area is the Flinders Range. The light-colored body of water is Lake Blanche. The lake to the south is Callabonna. This picture was taken at an altitude of 224 kilometers (139 statute miles) with a 70mm Hasselblad camera using high-definition aerial Ektachrome SO-242 type film.

S95-02815 (21 Jan. 1975) --- Soviet junior researcher Y.G. Pobrov observes testing of the Apollo-Soyuz docking system at Rockwell International's plant in Downey, California. The United States' Docking System 3 (DS-3) here is being positioned onto the USSR's CA-4 system during a Pin and Socket Alignment Test. DS-5 has been designated as the prime flight article for the joint U.S.-USSR Apollo-Soyuz Test Project (ASTP) docking mission in Earth orbit, scheduled for July 1975.

AST-32-2675 (17-19 July 1975) --- The American Apollo spacecraft as seen in Earth orbit from the Soviet Soyuz spacecraft during the joint U.S.-USSR Apollo-Soyuz Test Project mission. The Command/Service Module and Docking Module are contrasted against a black-sky background. This is a "head on" view of the Apollo. The horizon of Earth is below. This picture was furnished by the USSR in an exchange of photography taken during the ASTP flight. The American and Soviet spacecraft were joined together in space for approximately 47 hours on July 17-18-19, 1975. Note the docking mechanism on the Docking Module. PHOTO COURTESY: USSR ACADEMY OF SCIENCES

AST-16-1268 (20 July 1975) --- A near vertical view of a portion of the Mediterranean coast of Turkey and Syria, as photographed from the Apollo spacecraft in Earth orbit during the joint U.S-USSR Apollo-Soyuz Test Project mission. This view covers the Levant Coast north of Beirut, showing the cities of Aleppo, Hamah, Homs and Latakia. The Levantine rift bends to the northeast. This picture was taken with a 70mm Hasselblad camera using high-definition aerial Ektachrome SO-242 type film. The altitude of the spacecraft was 225 kilometers (140 statute miles) when this photograph was taken.

Space Shuttle Orbiter 101 model installation in the 40x80ft W.T. Test 462

Portrait of Christine M Darden

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Symphonie-B, second in a series of French-West German experimental communications satellites, was launched aboard a Delta rocket from Pad A at Complex 17 at 9:42 p.m. EDT today. The satellite will be placed in a synchronous orbit 22,300 miles above the equator at 11.5 degrees west latitude. Launch was by KSC’s Unmanned Launch Operations Directorate. The launch was the first from Pad A since that of Orbiting Solar Observatory 7 in September 1971. The pad has undergone extensive modifications to prepare it to handle the larger solid strap-on rocket motors to be used in future Delta space missions. Photo credit: NASA Photo credit: NASA

S75-26927 (July 1975) --- A close-up view of the Commemorative Plaque for the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project. Two plaques divided into four quarters each will be flown on the ASTP mission. A four-part plaque is completely assembled here. The American ASTP crew will carry the four U.S. quarter pieces aboard Apollo; and the Soviet ASTP 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.

AST-02-096 (18 July 1975) --- This scene photograph from a rendezvous window of the American Apollo spacecraft in Earth orbit shows the Soviet Soyuz spacecraft contrasted against a black-sky background with a heavily cloud-covered Earth below. The three major components of the Soyuz are the spherical-shaped Orbital Module, the bell-shaped Descent Vehicle, the cylindrical-shaped Instrument Assembly Module. 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.

Oblique wing in 11ft. wind tunnel Test 11-026.

S75-28682 (17 July 1975) --- An overall view of the Mission Operations Control Room in the Mission Control Center during the joint U.S.-USSR Apollo-Soyuz Test Project docking mission in Earth orbit. The large television monitor shows a view of the Soyuz spacecraft as seen from the Apollo spacecraft during rendezvous and docking maneuvers. Eugene F. Kranz, JSC Deputy Director of Flight Operations, is standing in the foreground. M.P. Frank, the American senior ASTP flight director, is partially obscured on the right.

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.

At its founding, the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) inherited the Army’s Jupiter and Redstone test stands, but much larger facilities were needed for the giant stages of the Saturn V. From 1960 to 1964, the existing stands were remodeled and a sizable new test area was developed. The new comprehensive test complex for propulsion and structural dynamics was unique within the nation and the free world, and they remain so today because they were constructed with foresight to meet the future as well as on going needs. Construction of the S-IC Static test stand complex began in 1961 in the west test area of MSFC, and was completed in 1964. The S-IC static test stand was originally designed to develop and test the 138-ft long and 33-ft diameter Saturn V S-IC first stage, or booster stage. Modifications to the S-IC Test Stand began in 1975 to accommodate space shuttle external tank testing. This photo depicts the continuation of the modification process as of July 14, 1975. The flame deflector originally used to provide water to the 5 F-1 engines of the S-IC stage during testing has been removed.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- U.S. astronauts Thomas Stafford (left), Vance Brand (center) and Donald Slayton pose in front of their Apollo Soyuz Test Project space vehicle during rollout ceremonies at KSC. The 224-foot-tall Saturn IB launch vehicle began its five-mile journey from the Vehicle Assembly Building to Complex 39's Pad at 8 a.m. The ASTP launch is scheduled for 3:50 p.m. EDT on July 15. During the mission the U.S. Apollo spacecraft will rendezvous and dock with the Soviet Soyuz spacecraft. It will be history's first international manned space flight.

S75-23543 (April 1972) --- This Apollo 16 lunar sample (moon rock) was collected by astronaut John W. Young, commander of the mission, about 15 meters southwest of the landing site. This rock weighs 128 grams when returned to Earth. The sample is a polymict breccia. This rock, like all lunar highland breccias, is very old, about 3,900,000,000 years older than 99.99% of all Earth surface rocks, according to scientists. Scientific research is being conducted on the balance of this sample at NASA's Johnson Space Center and at other research centers in the United States and certain foreign nations under a continuing program of investigation involving lunar samples collected during the Apollo program.

Schlieren: Space Shuttle Plume Test-97-044-1 in 9x7ft w.t.

Space Shuttle SSV Orbiter Model A100 0.36 Scale In 40x80 Foot Wind Tunnel. 3/4 lower rear view.

S75-28550 (15 July 1975) --- The Apollo-Soyuz Test Project's (ASTP) NASA Apollo/Saturn 1B space vehicle is launched from Pad B, Launch Complex 39, Kennedy Space Center (KSC), Florida, at 3:50 p.m. (EDT), July 15, 1975, to begin Apollo's catch-up journey toward the already Earth-orbiting Soviet Soyuz spacecraft. Aboard the Apollo spacecraft were astronauts Thomas P. Stafford, Vance D. Brand and Donald K. (Deke) Slayton.

SA-210 Apollo-Soyuz Test Project (ASTP) awaits the launch scheduled on July 15, 1975 on the launch pad at the Kennedy Space Center, the ASTP mission with astronauts Thomas Stafford, Vance Brand, and Donald "Deke" Slayton. The Saturn IB, developed under the direction of the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC), launched five manned Earth-orbital missions between 1968 and 1975: Apollo 7, Skylab 2, Skylab 3, Skylab 4, and the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project .

AST-27-2339 (20 July 1975) --- The Earth’s limb at sunrise and cloud silhouettes in the Southern Hemisphere, as photographed from the Apollo spacecraft during the joint U.S.-USSR Apollo-Soyuz Test Project mission. The photograph was taken at an altitude of 230 kilometers (143 statute miles) with a 70mm Hasselblad camera using medium-speed Ektachrome QX-807 type film.

A Marshall scientist practices transferring objects in the Neutral Buoyancy Simulator (NBS) for the Spacelab transfer tunnel test.

S75-28512 (July 1975) --- An artist?s concept depicting a scene in Earth orbit during the Apollo transposition and docking maneuvers of the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project mission. The Command/Service Module is moving into position to dock with the Docking Module. Following the docking the DM will be extracted from the expended Saturn IVB stage. The Docking Module is designed to link the American Apollo spacecraft with the Soviet Soyuz spacecraft. This scene will take place some one hour and twenty-three minutes after the Apollo-Saturn 1B liftoff from the Kennedy Space Center on July 15, 1975. The Soyuz launch at 7:20 a.m. (CDT) from the Baikonur, Kazakhstan launch pad will precede the Apollo liftoff by seven and one-half hours. The artwork is by Paul Fjeld.

Shuttle Service (view of spacecraft). Space shuttle delivers part for Space Colony

S75-23882 (20 March 1975) --- An overall view of the Mission Operations Control Room in the Mission Control Center during ASTP joint simulation activity at NASA's Johnson Space Center. M.P. Frank, the senior American ASTP flight director, is seated at his console in the lower right corner of the picture. The television monitor in the center background shows a scene from the ASTP control center in the Soviet Union. The simulations are part of the preparations for the U.S.-USSR Apollo-Soyuz Test Project docking mission in Earth orbit scheduled for July 1975.

Space Shuttle SSV orbiter model OA100 (0.36 scale): 40x80ft w.t.

S75-25615 (April 1975) --- The Soviet Soyuz spacecraft for the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project mission is seen during prelaunch preparations at the Baikonur launch complex near Tyuratam in the Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic. American ASTP crewmen visited the site while in the Soviet Union for training at the Cosmonaut Training Center (Star City) near Moscow. The Baikonur launch facility is located some 2,100 kilometers (1,300 miles) southeast of Moscow. The three major components of the Soyuz spacecraft are the Orbital Module (top), Descent Vehicle (in middle) and the Instrument Assemble Module (at bottom with solar panels). PHOTO COURTESY: USSR ACADEMY OF SCIENCES

3/4 lower front view of Controllable Twist Rotor (CTR) test of 4 blade helicopter model. Pictures with Ben Mandwyler Andy Lemnios, John McCloud (wheel chair), in 40x80 foot wind tunnel. Small flaps on rotor blades.

S75-28659 (21 July 1975) --- An overall view of the group of Soviet Union flight controllers who served at the Mission Control Center during the joint U.S.-USSR Apollo-Soyuz Test Project docking mission in Earth orbit. They are applauding the successful touchdown of the Soyuz spacecraft in Central Asia. The television monitor had just shown the land landing of the Soyuz descent vehicle.

S75-27346 (22 May 1975) --- An overall view of the signing of the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project joint flight readiness review in ceremonies on May 22, 1975 in Moscow. Academician Vladimir A. Kotelnikov (on left) and NASA Deputy Administrator George M. Low (in center) are seen affixing their signatures to the ASTP document. Kotelnikov is the Acting President of the USSR Academy of Sciences. Seated at far left is Professor Konstantin D. Bushuyev, the Soviet Technical Director of ASTP. Dr. Glynn S. Lunney, the U.S. Technical Director of ASTP, is seated on Dr. Low?s left. Arnold W. Frutkin (in light jacket), NASA Assistant Administrator for International Affairs, is standing behind Dr. Low. Academician Boris N. Petrov (in dark suit), Chairman of the USSR Council for International Cooperation in the Exploration and Use of Outer Space, is standing behind Kotelnikov. The signing of the agreement took place at the Presidium of the Academy of Sciences in Moscow.

3/4 lower rear view of Controllable Twist Rotor (CTR) test of 4 blade helicopter model. Pictures with Ben Mandwyler Andy Lemnios, in 40x80 foot wind tunnel. Small flaps on rotor blades.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Official portrait of Lee R. Scherer, Director, John F. Kennedy Space Center. Photo credit: NASA

S75-27285 (April 1975) --- An artist's concept depicting an American Apollo spacecraft rendezvousing with a Soviet Soyuz spacecraft in Earth orbit. The two spacecraft are in a near-docked configuration. During the joint U.S.-USSR Apollo-Soyuz Test Project (ASTP) mission, which is scheduled for July 1975, the American and Soviet crews will visit each other's spacecraft while the Soyuz and Apollo are docked for a maximum period of two days. The mission is designed to test equipment and techniques that will establish international crew rescue capability in space, as well as permit future cooperative scientific missions. This artwork is by Davis Meltzer.

S75-28361 (9 July 1975) --- These ten American astronauts compose the U.S. prime crew, the backup crew and the crew support team for the joint U.S.-USSR Apollo-Soyuz Test Project docking mission in Earth orbit. They are, left to right, Robert L. Crippen, support team; Robert F. Overmyer, support team; Richard H. Truly, support team; Karol J. Bobko, support team; Donald K. Slayton, prime crew docking module pilot; Thomas P. Stafford, prime crew commander; Vance D. Brand, prime crew command module pilot; Jack R. Lousma, backup crew docking module pilot; Ronald E. Evans, backup crew command module pilot; and Alan L. Bean, backup crew commander. They are photographed by the Apollo Mission Simulator console in Building 5 at NASA's Johnson Space Center.

Earth showing California and the Western United States from outer space.

AST-14-890 (18 July 1975) --- An oblique view of unique drainage patterns in southwestern Africa in the Rio Cuando area of Angola and South-West Africa, as photographed from the Apollo spacecraft in Earth orbit during the joint U.S.-USSR Apollo-Soyuz Test Project mission. The picture was taken at an altitude of 223 kilometers (138 statute miles) with a 70mm Hasselblad camera using high-definition Ektachrome aerial SO-242 type film.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Titan_Centaur 3, which will be used to hurl a Viking spacecraft toward Mars on Aug. 21, was moved from the Vertical Integration Building (VIB) to Launch Complex 41 for electrical and mechanical checks today. TC-3 will be returned to the VIB for storage while TC-4, which will be used to launch the first Viking, is undergoing checkout for launch on Aug. 11. The two Titan_Centaurs are being prepared in parallel for launches at 10-day intervals.

S75-28519 (15 July 1975) --- An overall view of the Mission Operations Control Room in the Mission Control Center, Building 30, Johnson Space Center, on the first day of the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project docking mission in Earth orbit. This photograph was taken shortly before the American ASTP launch from the Kennedy Space Center. The television monitor in the center background shows the ASTP Apollo-Saturn 1B space vehicle on Pad B at KSC?s Launch Complex 39. The American ASTP liftoff followed the Soviet ASTP launch of the Soyuz space vehicle from Baikonur, Kazakhstan by seven and one-half hours.

Air flow testing on aerodynamic truck

S75-23880 (20 March 1975) --- An overall view of the Mission Operations Control Room in the Mission Control Center during ASTP joint simulation activity at NASA's Johnson Space Center. Flight director Donald R. Puddy (stripped shirt) is seated at his console on the right. The television monitor in the left background shows a scene from the ASTP control center in the Soviet Union. The simulations are part of the preparations for the U.S.-USSR Apollo-Soyuz Test Project docking mission in Earth orbit scheduled for July 1975.

AST-02-093 (18 July 1975) --- This scene photographed with a hand-held 70mm camera from a rendezvous window of the American Apollo spacecraft in Earth orbit shows the Soviet Soyuz spacecraft contrasted against a black-sky background with Earth's horizon below. The three major components of the Soyuz are the spherical-shaped Orbital Module (OM), the bell-shaped Descent Vehicle (DV) and the cylindrical-shaped instrument Assembly Module (AM). The docking system on the Orbital Module was specially designed to interface with the docking system on the Apollo's Docking Module (DM). The DM is visible very faintly at the bottom of the picture. The ASTP astronauts and cosmonauts visited each other's spacecraft while the Soyuz and Apollo were docked in Earth orbit for two days.

Space Shuttle SSV orbiter model OA100 (0.36 scale): 40x80ft w.t.

S76-20264 (1975) --- Farouk El-Baz (second right) is seen with ASTP Crewmen T. Stafford, V. Brand and D. Slayton during training activity, Bldg. 5 prior to liftoff in mid-July 1975. They are studying geographic aerial photographs & maps. Photo credit: NASA

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.

S75-28534 (17 July 1975) --- Anatoliy Dobrynin (right), Soviet Union ambassador to the United States, visits with a group of USSR ASTP flight controllers in the Mission Control Center during a tour of NASA's Johnson Space Center (JSC). Dobrynin was at JSC on the day the Soviet Soyuz and the American Apollo spacecraft docked in Earth orbit. The group also includes a couple of American ASTP flight controllers.

Erection of 1st Stage of Delta Vehicle for SYMPHONIE-B Mission. Complex 17A, CCAFS, June 30, 1975.

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.