- At the end of the Second World War, two distinct blocs clashed. The United States and the USSR enter the “Cold War”. This conflict will last throughout the second half of the XX e century, until the fall of the USSR.
- The intensity of this conflict was not uniform over time:strong tensions existed between 1947 and 1962. This period was marked by a nuclear threat, the events in Berlin, the Korean War, and even the installation of rockets in Cuba.
- The period from 1962 to 1977 was a period of "détente" between the two blocs. Marked by the resumption of diplomatic relations or even agreements on the limitation of arms, the Apollo-Soyuz space mission takes place in this context.
- Space conquest is an area of confrontation between the two blocs. Own successes are the subject of intense propaganda. The space race was initiated by the Soviets, who launched the first satellite into orbit (October 4, 1957) and the first man in space (Yuri Gagarin, April 12, 1961). The Americans created NASA in 1958 and walked on the Moon with the Apollo mission on July 21, 1969.
1975
Characters
Richard Nixon
Alexis Kosygin
Gerald Ford
Leonid Brezhnev
Alexei Leonov
Procedure
On May 24, 1972, Presidents Richard Nixon and Alexis Kosygin signed a space cooperation agreement called the ASTP project (Apollo-Soyuz Test Project). This project provides for docking between the Apollo and Soyuz spacecraft.
Real cooperation between the two nations is taking place:scientists exchange and meet. American astronauts make visits to the USSR and vice versa.
On July 15, 1975, at 12:20 p.m., the Soyuz-19 took off from Russia. At 7:50 p.m., it was the turn of the Americans to take off for space. Both launches are broadcast worldwide live on television. On July 17, the ships docked:the two commanders Tom Stafford and Alexei Leonov (the first man to have carried out a spacewalk) shook hands as the airlock opened. The event is still being filmed, and the photo of this handshake will go around the world.
To avoid any diplomatic friction, the two ships will make two moorings so that everyone has the opportunity to be in position active. The connection between the ships created a small station:the astronauts carried out experiments, shared their meals, etc.
On July 19, the two ships separated. The Soviets land on the 21st, and the Americans on the 25th.
Consequences
- The diplomatic consequences are remarkable:the meeting in space of the Russians and the Americans materializes the "détente" of the Cold War. This project shows that it is possible to establish genuine scientific cooperation between two countries that have been politically opposed and have been in conflict for several decades.
- The scientific assessment is also noteworthy:the sharing of knowledge and know-how has enabled mooring in space between two different technologies (communication radio frequencies, procedures, etc.) for the first time.
- The Apollo-Soyuz mission was not followed by a quick and concrete follow-up between the two nations. We have to wait until 1995 to witness again a docking between American and Russian aircraft, with the Discovery shuttle and the Mir station.