The Compromise

NASA astronauts and Soviet Cosmonauts shook hands in the airlock between the two vehicles. The event was broadcast on live television, and people tuned in from around the world to watch the event that was to spur the beginning of international space cooperation.

Although competition had launched both the United States and the Soviet Union into the Space Age, leaders of both countries decided that it was not the best path for the advancement of space technologies.

If our countries pooled their efforts - scientific, technical, and material - to master the universe, this would be very beneficial for the advance of science and would be joyfully acclaimed by all peoples who would like to see scientific achievements benefit man and not be used for "cold war" purposes and the arms race.
-Soviet Leader Nikita Krushchev in a letter to President Kennedy
Kennedy responded quickly to this invitation, saying:
"I welcome your statement that our countries should cooperate in the exploration of space."

After years of talks and negotiations, it was during the administration of U.S. President Richard Nixon when the United States and the Soviet Union were finally able to complete plans for a joint mission, although it was not until after Nixon’s resignation, when Gerald Ford assumed presidency, that the mission actually launched.

This mission provided the opportunity for the two countries’ space programs to cooperate in a way that neither had done before. Before, the two space programs had always been rivals, each trying to outdo the other with ultimate goals of not just scientific advancement but more so of military development. The exploration of space provided a veil for both countries for testing military weaponry, by improving the design and precision of rockets that, while useful in space exploration, were also of great use in military operations. This mission, however, was meant to remove the motives of military pursuits from scientific research. Also, by placing the scientists of the two countries together, the mission would allow for the sharing of ideas and technologies between the two space organizations, a line that had never been crossed before. In essence, this mission would cut the ribbon on the new era of space exploration

The mission would consist of a United States’ Apollo craft docking with the Soviet Union’s Soyuz 19. The vehicles would launch around the same time and orbit until the Apollo craft located the Soyuz 19. There were many technical considerations to be made. For instance, a special docking module had to be created to link the Apollo and Soyuz craft because the two had very different constructions which limited their compatibility. Also, the atmospheres of the cabins of each spacecraft were different, because the Apollo craft used only oxygen for air, while the Soyuz craft used a higher-pressure oxygen-nitrogen mixture. Because of this, each crew had to spend time in an airlock between the two ships in order to become accustomed to the other’s atmosphere. On top of that, radio communications equipment was not compatible in all cases, and the language barrier provided yet another obstacle. These are just a few examples of the numerous issues that had to be worked out before launching.

Despite daunting technical issues, the preparations were completed, and on July 15, 1975, Apollo and Soyuz 19 launched from their respective countries. The two vehicles orbited Earth for two days until finally, on July 17, 1975, the two spacecraft successfully docked. After adjusting to the climate differences between the two vehicles, the crews turned on the cameras and shook hands while the world looked on.

While Apollo and Soyuz 19 were linked, the crews performed some joint scientific experiments and performed additional maneuvering exercises to test spacecraft docking. Then on July 21, Soyuz 19 returned to Earth, while Apollo spent three more days in space to conduct additional experiments. Apollo then returned to Earth as well, officially completing the mission, which was an absolute success, as it not only proved that it was quite possible to carry out a joint space mission, but also because it broke down the barrier of competition and made the future of space not about an arms race or a competition of aeronautics superiority but rather about a team effort to further the development of space exploration.

(JSC)

(JSC)

(JSC)

MSNBC