Apollo-Soyuz Test Project
Saturn IB
National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Rocket Launch Videos
Crew
Thomas P. Stafford
- Birthday: 09/17/1930
- Role: Commander
- Nationality: United States of America
- First Flight: 12/15/1965
- Last Flight: 07/15/1975
Thomas Patten Stafford was an American Air Force officer, test pilot, and NASA astronaut.
Vance D. Brand
- Birthday: 05/09/1931
- Role: Command Module Pilot
- Nationality: United States of America
- First Flight: 07/15/1975
- Last Flight: 12/02/1990
Vance DeVoe Brand is an American former naval officer and aviator, aeronautical engineer, test pilot, and NASA astronaut. He ...
Deke Slayton
- Birthday: 03/01/1924
- Role: Docking Module Pilot
- Nationality: United States of America
- First Flight: 07/15/1975
- Last Flight: 07/15/1975
Donald Kent "Deke" Slayton, was an American World War II pilot, aeronautical engineer, and test pilot who was selec...
Mission
Apollo-Soyuz Test Project
- Type: Human Exploration
- Orbit: Low Earth Orbit
The Apollo-Soyuz Test Project was the first joint US-Soviet space flight and the last crewed US space mission until the Space Shuttle program.
The US side of mission began on July 15, 1975, 19:50:00 UTC, launching Commander Thomas P. Stafford, Command Module Pilot Vance D. Brand and Docking Module Pilot Donald K. Slayton into orbit. Two days later, they docked with the Soyuz 19 spacecraft. American and Soviet crews visited each other's spacecrafts, performed docking and redocking maneuvers, conducted joint scientific experiments, exchanged flags and gifts. Crews spent more than 44 hours together, and after final parting of the ships on July 19, Apollo crew spent nine more days in orbit, conducting Earth observation experiments.
The Apollo crew returned to Earth on July 24, 1975, 21:18:0 UTC with a splashdown in the Pacific Ocean.
Location
Launch Complex 39B
Kennedy Space Center, FL, USA
Find the best place to watch the launch from Florida
Launch Complex 39B has witnessed the launch of 58 rockets, including 57 orbital launch attempts. While Kennedy Space Center, FL, USA, has been the site for 266 rocket launches.
The John F. Kennedy Space Center, located on Merritt Island, Florida, is one of NASA's ten field centers. Since 1968, KSC has been NASA's primary launch center of American spaceflight, research, and technology. Launch operations for the Apollo, Skylab and Space Shuttle programs were carried out from Kennedy Space Center Launch Complex 39 and managed by KSC. Located on the east coast of Florida, KSC is adjacent to Cape Canaveral Space Force Station (CCSFS).
Rocket
National Aeronautics and Space Administration Saturn IB
The Saturn IB (pronounced "one B", also known as the Uprated Saturn I) was an American launch vehicle commissioned by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) for the Apollo program. It replaced the S-IV second stage of the Saturn I with the much more powerful S-IVB, able to launch a partially fueled Apollo Command/Service Module (CSM) or a fully fueled Lunar Module (LM) into low Earth orbit for early flight tests before the larger Saturn V needed for lunar flight was ready.
Agency
National Aeronautics and Space Administration
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is an independent agency of the executive branch of the United States federal government responsible for the civilian space program, as well as aeronautics and aerospace research. NASA have many launch facilities but most are inactive. The most commonly used pad will be LC-39B at Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
