July 17, 1975

On this day in history in 1975 the two world superpowers of the time- the U.S. and the Soviet Union- met in space in a joint partnership.

An artist's conception of the two spacecrafts meeting and docking in space.

The Apollo-Soyuz Embrace

The final Apollo program mission was intended to develop the capabilities for a space rescue, should it be necessary. As part of this program the United States' Apollo 18 docked in space alongside the Soviet spacecraft Soyuz 19. The commanders from each craft, Thomas Stafford and Aleksei Leonov, shook hands and exchanged gifts to celebrate this first meeting in space. The handshake was even more symbolic because it occurred between two countries that had been such adversaries during the Cold War. They were even praised by the United Nations for the spirit of cooperation they showed in both planning, and then executing, the mission.

The two crafts were together for 44 hours. During that time the astronauts conducted experiments but also enjoyed sharing meals. The event occurred three years after the U.S. final lunar landing and was the final Apollo program mission by NASA. The Apollo program first visited the moon with the slogan "We came in peace for all mankind" and its final mission was one of international cooperation after decades of hostility between the two countries.