Apollo 18 - ASTP

USA

International Flight nº: 58

Earth orbit Flight nº: 55

USA launch Flight nº: 31

Launch, orbit & landing data:

Designation	08032 / 75066A
Launch date - time	15 Jul 1975 - 19:50:01 UT
Launch site	KSC, LC39B
Launch vehicle	Saturn 1B (SA-210)
Payload	Apollo CSM 111
Size (m)	10.36 long - 3.91 dia
Mass (kg)	12726
Flight Crew	Stafford, Thomas (CDR) Brand, Vance (CMP) Slayton, Donald (DMP)
Call Sign	Apollo
Backup crew	Bean, Evans, Lousma
Earth orbit on Jul 17:
- Perigee / Apogee	170 / 228 km
- Inclination	51.76°
- Period	88.41 min
Landing date - time	24 Jul 1975 - 21:18:24 UT
Landing location	Pacific Ocean near Hawaii
Flight Duration (d:hr:min)	9:01:28
Nbr orbits	138

Crew:

Nr.	Surname	Given name	Job	Duration
1	Stafford	Thomas Patten	CDR	9d 01h 28m
2	Brand	Vance DeVoe	PLT	9d 01h 28m
3	Slayton	Donald Kent "Deke"	DMP	9d 01h 28m

Flight:

Manned three crew. First U.S.-U.S.S.R joint manned mission Apollo-Soyuz; docking with Soyuz 19; docking adapter had been carried through Apollo; 44 hours of docked joint activities which included 4 crew transfers between the Apollo and the Soyuz; after separation of the spacecrafts second docking with Soyuz 19 as the active spacecraft, but no more crew transfers; after final separating the Apollo crew accomplished different scientific experiments; during landing phase health risk for the astronauts because of poison gas.

Apollo 18 crew. - Photo credit: NASA

US & Russian crew - painted by artist Bert Winthrop

Schematic docking. - painted by artist Bert Winthrop

Artist concept of American Apollo spacecraft docked with Soviet spacecraft - Credit: NASA.

Credit: Space Travel
July 17, 1975: Apollo 18 and Soyuz 19 successfully dock in orbit and the astronauts and cosmonauts shake hands. This marks the first time in history that spacecraft of two nations dock in space.

Soyuz ASTP in Orbit 3 - Credit: NASA.

Artist's drawing of internal arrangement of orbiting Apollo & Soyuz crafts - Credit: NASA.

Apollo 18 (ASTP) - Astronauts and Cosmonauts sightseeing at Red Square in Moscow - Credit: NASA.

Apollo 18 (ASTP) - Close-up view of descent vehicle of Soyuz spacecraft training mock-up - Credit: NASA.

Apollo 18 (ASTP) - Soviet Soyuz spacecraft seen during prelaunch preparations in U.S.S.R. - Credit: NASA.

Apollo 18 (ASTP) - Interior view of descent vehicle of Soyuz spacecraft mock-up - Credit: NASA.

Apollo 18 (ASTP) - Two Soviet crewmen for ASTP mission photographed at launch pad - Credit: NASA.

Apollo 18 (ASTP) - Soyuz space vehicle is launched to begin joint U.S.-USSR ASTP mission - Credit: NASA.

Apollo 18 (ASTP) - American Apollo spacecraft as seen from Soviet Soyuz spacecraft in orbit - Credit: NASA.

Apollo 18 (ASTP) - American Apollo spacecraft as seen from Soviet Soyuz spacecraft in orbit - Credit: NASA.

Apollo 18 (ASTP) - American Apollo spacecraft as seen from Soviet Soyuz spacecraft in orbit - Credit: NASA.

Apollo 18 (ASTP) - American Apollo spacecraft as seen from Soviet Soyuz spacecraft in orbit - Credit: NASA.

Soviet Soyuz spacecraft contrasted against a black-sky background - Credit: NASA.

Soviet Soyuz spacecraft contrasted against a black-sky background - Credit: NASA.

Soviet Soyuz spacecraft contrasted against a black-sky background - Credit: NASA.

Soviet Soyuz spacecraft in orbit as seen from American Apollo spacecraft - Credit: NASA.

Soviet Soyuz spacecraft in orbit as seen from American Apollo spacecraft - Credit: NASA.

Apollo 18 (ASTP) - View of Los Angeles, California area - Credit: NASA.

Apollo 18 (ASTP) - Sunglint in South Western Pacific Ocean - Credit: NASA.

Apollo 18 (ASTP) - ASTP Apollo Command Module nears touchdown in Central Pacific - Credit: NASA.

Ref.: #1, #2, #7, #8, #16, #303 - update: 20.09.17 Home