Space Cover #324: Apollo-Soyuz Test Project at 40 YearsIn October 1970, Soviet Academy of Sciences president Mstislav Keldysh responded to NASA Administrator Thomas O. Paine's letter proposing a project about a cooperative space mission, and there was subsequently a meeting to discuss technical details. By January 12, U.S. President Richard Nixon's Foreign Policy Adviser, Henry Kissinger enthusiastically espoused plans for the mission, and expressed these views to NASA administrator George M. Low: "As long as you stick to space, do anything you want to do. You are free to commit--in fact, I want you to tell your counterparts in Moscow that the President has sent you on this mission."
On May 24, 1972, both the United States (President Richard Nixon) and the USSR (Premier Alexei Kosygin) signed an Agreement Concerning Cooperation in the Exploration and Use of Outer Space for Peaceful Purposes, committing both the USSR and the United States to the launch of the Apollo–Soyuz Test Project in 1975.
The first meeting of the Apollo astronauts and Soviet cosmonauts for the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project occurred in Houston, Texas on 9 July 1973. Alexei Leonov, who would command the Soviet part of the program met with Thomas Stafford, his U.S. counterpart and they hit it off right from the start.
Jack Swigert was meant to fly on 1975's Apollo-Soyuz (ASTP) mission, but this opportunity was scuttled by a scandal that rocked another Apollo crew. Following the Apollo 15 postage stamp controversy, Swigert denied he'd had any dealings involving envelopes, but later admitted he had. The book, Deke!, written by Donald K. "Deke" Slayton details the end of Swigert's spaceflight career:
As the joint training progressed, Leonov and Stafford bonded, becoming strong friends. Shortly after the ASTP mission Stafford was promoted to Major General in November 1973. Leonov had been promoted to Major General right after the end of the ASTP mission, The U.S. Crew was launched on 7/15/1975 and splashed down on 7/24/1975. On 15 November 1975, Gen. Stafford was named Commanding General of the Air Force Flight Test Center at Edwards AFB, California. On 30 March 1976 Leonov was named Commander, or Chief Cosmonaut at Star City.
In his book, "We Have Capture", Gen, Stafford writes: "Alexei was as busy in Star City as I was at Edwards. And we had no direct contact. Once or twice a year I would write him a letter but each one took months to reach him. Phone calls were out of the question." The two men did not meet again in person until July 1985.
This cover was fished out of a trash can in Star City and offered to me by the finder. I had to assume that it had been carried by diplomatic pouch and the above comments I later found in Stafford's book seem to support that theory. Stafford was promoted to Deputy Chief of Staff for research, development and acquisition in Washington, DC in March of 1978. Therefore this envelope had to have been one of two to four sent between April 1976 when Leonov started as the Commander of Star City and March 1978 when Stafford's promotion took him from Edwards AFB.
posted 07-05-2015 05:11 PM
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