Apollo-Soyuz flight - 38 years ago this week. The mission step by step

This week 38 years ago, a mission took place that was ahead of its time - cooperation between the US and the Soviet Union in the midst of the short-lived détente. The lessons were later used for cooperation in Mir and the International Space Station. Haim Mazar wrote these things in real time, July 1975

introduction
Close to the launch date of Apollo 11, the first buds of cooperation between the two space powers, the USA and the USSR, appeared. This activity was expressed in the exchange and coordination of information on space issues (Mariner 9, Mar 2, Mar 3) and the exchange of samples from the lunar soil. In 1970, safety equipment began to be discussed for the first time. It was decided to install standard docking and attachment equipment in every spacecraft in the future to facilitate rescue and rescue operations in emergency situations. A proposal was made to attach the Apollo spacecraft to the Soliot space laboratory and the Soyuz spacecraft to the American space laboratory Skylab. Since the first Soliot space station had one attachment opening, this plan had to be canceled. Instead, there is talk of attaching the Soyuz spacecraft to the Apollo spacecraft. This is how a program for a manned international space flight was formed, which received the name ASTP. This name is the initials of the name of the project - the Apollo Soyuz Test Program. The purpose of the flight is to connect the two spacecraft and perform joint experiments, while astronauts move from one spacecraft to the other. The preparations for this flight lasted about 3 years from 1970 to 1973.
In order for such a flight to take place, several problems must be solved and they are:
1. The location of the navigation engines, solar collectors and portholes to ensure that they do not interfere with the linkages.
2. In the Apollo spacecraft there is an internal tunnel for passing from one spacecraft to another. In the USSR it was customary to witness the launch of the Soliot space stations by exiting the spacecraft using a safety belt attached to the spacecraft.
3. Atmosphere - The atmosphere of the Apollo spacecraft contains pure oxygen at a pressure of 0.83 kg/cm2.43 and the Russian atmosphere is the same as the atmosphere of the country at a pressure of XNUMX kg/cmXNUMX.

The attachment tunnel
The solution to these problems is an attachment tunnel. This is a tunnel that connects on one side to the command cabin of the Apollo and on the other hand to the orbital cabin of the Soyuz. The tunnel has 2 parts, the tunnel itself and the attachment mechanism. The tunnel is 3.15 meters long, 1.42 meters in diameter and weighs 1878 kg. 2 tanks are attached to the outer wall, each with a different atmosphere - a pure oxygen atmosphere and a nitrogen oxygen atmosphere. The tanks are coated with an insulating material to protect them from the navigation engines of the Apollo toilet compartment. In the tunnel there is a television monitoring system for linkages, radios and control devices that maintain the tunnel's integrity (heat, lighting, etc.). Two space suits and food. The tunnel has two doors that open inwards and they were taken from previous Apollo command rooms. At the end of the tunnel close to Apollo is an attachment anchor that was part of the Apollo moon landings. This anchor has a certain limitation and that is that certain accessories must be moved before the passage of astronauts from Apollo to the tunnel (the same is said for the moon landings - Apollo). On the other hand, the Russian attachment mechanism excels in its simplicity. It is enough to open a door to go from the spaceship to the tunnel. This equipment was to be standard on both the Apollo and Soyuz spacecraft.
In normal atmospheres the transition from spacecraft to spacecraft must take two hours. To reduce the transition time to a minimum, the atmospheres were changed. The atmosphere of the Soyuz spacecraft is 0.67 and that of the Apollo spacecraft is 0.33. Soyuz can return to the normal pressure of 1 atmosphere without special measures. Further reduction of the pressure in the Soyuz is not possible since the human body requires a minimum oxygen pressure of 0.23 atmospheres. The transit time was set at half an hour.
The attachment tunnel is in the adapter of the Saturn B1 launch vehicle. Connecting Apollo to the adapter is done in the same way as the connection between the command cabin and the lunar lander during flights to the moon. The price of the tunnel was 15 million dollars. The USA created 3 such cells.
The attachment mechanism
The attachment mechanism was created by the Russians. It consists of 2 parts. One is mounted on the front of the Soyuz spacecraft and the other on the front of a tunnel. the linkages. The two parts are identical so that each spaceship could be active or passive for the connection.
The attachment mechanism has two rings. A structural ring and above it a flexible guiding ring. Attached to this ring are 3 leaves at a distance of 0 120 from each other and protruding outward at an angle of 0 45. The structural ring has 8 bolts and it connects to the end of the tunnel. The initial connection is made by the 3 leaves. The guide ring in the active spacecraft "sits down" flexibly until a soft snap is made and the ring is pulled back within 30 seconds by a motor and cable and the 8 bolts are activated simultaneously. The 3 clips hold the two spacecraft together.
The attachment mechanism in the Soyuz is only slightly different from that of the Apollo spacecraft - in the pulling mechanics of the ring. This method utilizes an electro-mechanical system equipped with a screw lever and an operating system that performs all operations simultaneously. In any case, the Soyuz plays a passive role in the first stages of docking.
Scientific equipment in the tunnel
A multipurpose melting pot was placed in the tunnel. This is an improved model of the reactor that was on the American Skylab station. The reactor has two parts, the reactor itself and a central case. In the reactor there are 3 experimental cells - a hot cell, a thermal gradient unit and an outlet unit. The central case regulates the temperature in the hot zone. Allows planning and timing of the desired wet duration, cools the reactor at a pre-planned rate and stops the system operation.
Adapting the spacecraft to flight
Apollo - The Apollo spacecraft participating in this flight is of the same model that was used on the Skylab space station, but several changes were introduced. Added a fuel tank to increase the speed of the 4 navigation systems of the toilet cabin, in case the spacecraft engine breaks down. The antenna attached to the base of the toilet compartment was removed and the radar device was taken out of the control room and replaced by a radio device transmitting on the frequency of the Soyuz spacecraft.
Soyuz - improvements in the environmental control system to accommodate the reduction of pressure in the spacecraft when the joint maneuvers are performed. Additional communication equipment and thermal protection for the equipment. Soyuz has 4 color cameras for flight coverage. Eating is done on a folding table. Soyuz was equipped with the guidance equipment with which its pilots can direct the spacecraft with great precision towards the landing at the end of the mission.

 

Preparations for the flight
Actual preparations for the flight began in September 1973 when a US Air Force radar tracked the flight of Soyuz 12 on the basis of information exchange. A similar process was in Soyuz 13. Soliot 3/Soyuz 14/Soyuz 15 flights.

The Soyuz 16 flight was a preparation for the ASTP operation. During her flight she was followed by American surveillance networks. On laps 29-35 when a simulated coupling was performed. The tracking is done by the stations of the American space agency which are located in Bermuda and Tananarive. At other times the surveillance is done from other places belonging to the US Air Force. The emphasis was on absorption. The tracking stations are:
Kwajalein, Cape Canaverl, Grand Turk, Antigua, Ascension, Canton Island, Hawaii

תקשורת
The angle of inclination of the Soyuz spacecraft is related to the location of the Russian control center. Due to this part of the time the spacecraft are out of range of the American tracking stations. For this purpose, we use the American satellite F - ATS, which allows us to provide telemetry coverage of 50% in the whole area of ​​the ASTP

Safety:
Safety facilities were installed in the spacecraft and in the docking tunnel to protect the lives of the astronauts. The flight rules require that at least one astronaut must remain in the cockpit of each spacecraft and that one host must remain in each spacecraft so that there are always 3 people in the Apollo and 2 in the Soyuz when the hatches are closed.

There was a fear that a wireless signal from one of the spacecraft would accidentally activate one of the multiple explosive devices in the other spacecraft, which are used to disconnect the cells, deploy the parachutes, etc. during the return to Israel. The Russians were aware of this danger and conducted various experiments to prevent it. Their methods did not meet the American requirements and they were forced to accept this standard.

The material from which the Russian spacesuits are made did not comply with the American anti-flammability standard. The Americans offered to supply their own material. The Russians rejected this proposal and produced another material that met the requirements of the American standard.

During the critical phases of the flight such as the docking maneuvers and the docking itself, the crews are dressed in space suits. One of the serious problems is what to do in an emergency that requires abandonment. It was agreed that the crews would not return to the mother spacecraft, but would land in the same spacecraft they are in when a malfunction occurs. Soyuz can carry a maximum of 3 people, while Apollo can also carry Soyuz pilots, and it is true that appropriate arrangements were made for this in the Apollo spaceship.

Languages
One of the basic problems involved in this kind of operation is the linguistic problem. Out of 2000 hours of training, 700 were dedicated to learning the languages. Both teams studied the idioms and manner of speaking of their colleagues. It was agreed that the Russians would address the Americans in English and they would address them in Russian. An interpreter is stationed next to each flight director. During the flight there will be a Russian team in Houston and an American team in Kalinin to help in times of need.
Russian instrumentation and experiments

1.  A view towards the Sun's corona.
2.  Investigating the Earth's magnetic field and electric field.
3.   Melting mixed materials under space conditions.
4. Biological experiments - in one of the experiments, the effect of local radiation on rhythm-generating areas in mushroom cultures and possible changes in the characteristics of the mushroom seed after the flight are examined. In each of the spacecraft there are systems of mushrooms and the crews of the spacecraft exchange among themselves some of the samples of the mushrooms.

American instrumentation and experiments
Apollo carries with it 180 kg of scientific instruments. These cover 18 studies selected from 145 proposals. The experiments proposed by American researchers and those from outside the U.S. These studies include 4 in astronomy and space physics, 5 experiments in life sciences, 8 application studies and 6 of them are carried out with the help of a small electric furnace similar to the one in the American space laboratory Skylab.
Astronomy and space physics

1.   Astronomy Extreme Ultraviolet - a night survey of the sky to check if such radiation exists and where. It was believed that this radiation exists in near space. If it turns out that this radiation does exist, then it opens a new branch of astronomy. The device for these experiments is attached to the outer wall of the spacecraft and includes a telescope to collect the radiation flux in its area of ​​influence and an EUV detector at its focal point.
2. Measuring the frequency and explosivity ratio of fluorescent halo radiation in selected areas of the night sky. The purpose of the measurements is the penetration of interstellar helium and its explosion in this space. The measurements are made with a helium radiation spectrometer with an accuracy of "4.
3. . Measuring the concentration of atmospheric content, especially oxygen and nitrogen atoms. The measurements are made using an ultraviolet receiver and an explosive/resonance spectrometer, using the gap between the two spacecraft. Ultraviolet radiation is transmitted from a resonant source by a space telescope on the Apollo spacecraft towards square corners on the Soyuz spacecraft and is returned to a spectrometer/detector on the Apollo spacecraft. The experiment enables the development of a new technique for measuring the chemically normal components of the atmosphere and making measurements using a mass spectrometer, the distance between the two spacecraft changes, to prevent absorption of material around the spacecraft.
4. X-ray celestial observation. The goal is to get a map of areas emitting soft X-ray radiation from celestial bodies. In a small window device - a soft X-ray detector in the bay of the service compartment of the Apollo spacecraft.

Implementation studies

• 1. Investigate how in 0 gravity the surface tension causes convection in liquid metals in containers. Pairs of alloys with a small gold content melted in iron and graphite cells allow them to mix. After solidification, they are returned to Israel, spread into thin, smooth slices and undergo an analytical test of the gold content. This is the next test to determine the presence or absence of convective effects caused by fluctuations in the pinion voltage during melting.
• 2. The effect of weightlessness on the mixing of monotactic alloy arrays. Two types of alloys are melted and at different times samples are taken out of them to check how the lack of layering of mixtures of liquids with different densities in weightlessness affects the approach to the equilibrium point in the formation of intrametallic compounds.
• 3. To test the role of convection in high-coherence magnetic solidification processes. Magnetic metals are melted and resolidified at a controlled rate to see how cast metals with improved properties behave in weightless conditions.
• 4. Quantitative definition of the weightlessness effect on electronic metallurgical processes. A cylindrical crystal of thick germanium is partially melted and resolidified. Electrical pulses will grow into the germanium while solidifying artificial bands. The pulses create heat in contact between the solid and the liquid at intervals of 5 seconds. The strips give a reference time for defining the microscopic growth rate, this information and the measurement of the explosiveness of the material in the crystal allow detailed analyzes of growth processes.
• 5. Solidification at 0 gravity of eutectic LiF – NaCl These samples have a low melting point. They are melted and resolidified. The fibrous solidification of LiF makes it miscible with NaCl. This material can be used as a medium to transmit images in infrared light. The purpose of the experiment is to produce samples with fiber explosives that have high orientation properties, regularity and fiber continuity.
• Other application experiments

1. Electrophoris - the continuation of experiments with electrophoris deviations. These experiments are important in applied fields such as chemistry and medicine since it is possible to separate particles without reducing their activity. Particles separated by electrophoresis include ions, colloids and biological materials such as viruses. Proteins and cells. The purpose of the experiment is to purify, isolate and analyze the samples for medical and biological experiments. Blood cells of humans and rabbits are transferred to a fermenting liquid (buffer) floating in an electric field. The cells are separated into their components at different angles as they pass through the liquid. The separated material continues to be collected and analyzed. The 0-gravity allows for higher buoyancy and more separation than that achieved in Earth's gravity.
2. Measuring the Doppler effect between the spacecraft. The VHF system of the two spacecraft measures changes in the distance between the spacecraft as a detector of local anomalies in the Earth's gravitational field. There is great interest in the field of gravitation since it is used as a cornerstone for understanding the interior of the earth. Information on the gravimetric anomaly contributes to research in geology and physics in everything related to continental migration, earthquakes. Volcanic activity and minerals.

Life science

1. 1. The effect of weightlessness on cell function. Blood samples were taken from the astronauts before and after the launch. The white blood cells and the bacteria are studied comparatively. The purpose of the experiment is to test the resistance to bacterial infections in a prolonged space flight.
2. 2. The effect of space flight on the response of lymphocytic cells to infectious agents. The measurements are made before and after the launch. This experiment can be coordinated with experiment number 1.
3. 3. Quantitatively monitor the bacteria carried by the astronauts and the nature of the bacteria transferred between the astronauts. The bacteria are collected from the astronauts at scheduled times before, during and after the flight. The flight samples are taken when the spacecraft are docked and the crews are working.
4. 4a. The effect of space radiation on selected biological materials such as beetroot, bacteria, bacteria, beetle eggs, mollusk eggs living in salty water, etc. with layers of scanning detectors (a milky liquid containing drops of oil, plastic and chloride crystals).
5. B. Some of the eggs were fertilized near the launch of the Apollo spacecraft and some 11 days before. It should be checked whether the lack of weight will cause them to hatch prematurely, hatch during the flight or whether it will not hatch at all.
6. third. Testing the responses of fish to 0 gravity.
7. All the cargo is in a small container in the command cabin of the Apollo spacecraft. The experiment is performed simultaneously in the spaceship itself, in a balloon and on the ground. Any mutation or other development is of immediate interest. The information contributes important knowledge to understanding the danger inherent in radiation in space flights.
8. 5. Investigating the flashes of light observed by the Apollo pilots who flew to the moon and other sensitivities to cosmic particles. During the experiments, the astronauts wear a helmet for 2-1 hours that covers their entire head and protects the eyes and ears. During the experiment they must report the flashes of light or sensitivity to sound, taste and smell that can be related in any way to the flashes of light. The helmet has a communication system, a particle detector and light diodes that emit heat.

the flight plan
The operation started on July 15.7.1975, 288. First, the Soyuz spacecraft was launched into an orbit of 188-0 km and an inclination angle of 57.8 4. The Soyuz was launched from Bikaner. In the 17th lap a change was made in the flight path and in the 225th lap another change was made. The route is 7.5 km circular. The Apollo spacecraft was launched 4 hours after the Soyuz. After the launch, the Apollo spacecraft connected to the docking tunnel and about 30 hours after launch, the Apollo performs a series of complicated maneuvers in preparation for connecting with the Soyuz. 64 hours after launch, the Apollo docked with the Soyuz. The duration of the links is XNUMX minutes.

The Russian astronauts who participated in the flight are Alexey Leoniev and engineer Dr. Valery Kubsov. The American astronauts are Donald Slayton. Thomas Stafford Vance Brand. Slayton was among the first US astronauts. He was to be the second American astronaut to orbit the Earth. An irregularity in his heart resulted in his immediate grounding and thus preventing him from participating in the Mercury program, the first US manned space program. His attempts to participate in the flight were in vain. Only after many measures, many tests and his recovery was he allowed to participate in a space flight. The ASTP flight is his first flight.

At the time of the Soyuz launch, two additional Soyuz spacecraft were ready for launch in case the Apollo launch was delayed for any reason or if there was a malfunction in the Soyuz. NASA's alternative in case the plan doesn't come to fruition is connecting the spacecraft to the Skylab space station. Unlike the previous flights where the Russians prepared one emergency team, this time they prepared three teams and they are:

1. Anatoly Filipchenko and Nikolai Rokbyshnikov.
2. Vladimir Zenbikov and the engineer Boris Andreev.
3. Yuri Romanenko and Aleksandov Yunishkov.
Soyuz was also designed for sea landing. In the first tests it turned out to be less stable than Apollo for two reasons. Its center of gravity is high and the steering surfaces are small. The Russian surveillance fleet has grown over time.

The launch order of the spacecraft required absolute dependence on the most precise navigation of the passive spacecraft. Since the Russian spacecraft is launched above the continent, the docking maneuvers can be performed safely in a very narrow corridor. On the other hand, Apollo is launched over the sea, so there are no such restrictions for it at all.

30 hours after the Apollo launch, as mentioned, the two spacecraft connect. The connection is at an altitude of 225 km. Apollo is guided by the Soyuz orbiter and she performs all the docking maneuvers. Immediately after docking, the activity of the control systems in the Soyuz is stopped. The only systems operated by it are the security of keeping the two spacecraft in orbit, stable movement while correctly operating the locking facilities between the two spacecraft.
3 hours after docking, Stafford and Slayton remove the Apollo hatch and place it under one of their sleeping pads, comparing the air pressure in the tunnel to that of Soyuz (of course after closing the nearest Apollo hatch). From the other past, Leoniev is waiting to shake Stafford's hand. A total of 4 visits to Apollo and Soyuz are planned. As part of the joint work of the two teams, festive meals are also held. The transition from one spaceship to another is carried out with the astronauts dressed in their underwear. Every astronaut sleeps in his spaceship.

On 19.7/48, 20 hours and 8 minutes after the connection, one of the spaceships disconnects from its anchor.. Before that, a joint press conference is held. The joint experiments are not over yet. An artificial solar eclipse was held. Apollo stands between the Sun and Soyuz, with the latter taking a series of photographs of the eclipse and especially the halo around Apollo. The length of this experiment is several hours. At the end of the experiment, Apollo circles Soyuz and transmits ultraviolet radiation to the square corners of Soyuz. The radiation is returned to Apollo to measure the number of oxygen and nitrogen atoms at altitude and finally another connection is made. This time Soyuz is the active one. The spaceships detach and continue to fly side by side for about 5 hours. A total of XNUMX joint experiments are performed.
Soyuz stayed in space for 6 days and 31 minutes and landed on July 21.7. And Apollo stayed in space for about 9 days and landed at 24.7 west of the Hawaiian Islands. From the moment of separation, each spacecraft performs a series of independent experiments. The attachment tunnel is adjacent to Apollo for the entire length of the flight. From the moment of separation until the landing, Apollo performs 20 different experiments that are a continuation of the Skylab operation. For the flight as a whole 2 flight managers and in each control center a representative of the other country.

the course of the flight

15.7 - the first day of the flight

The first Soyuz launched was called Soyuz 19. The spacecraft was launched with a slight over-acceleration and deviated slightly from its trajectory. The fault has been fixed. One of the TV cameras broke before it started working, so it was impossible to transmit a TV broadcast from the control room during takeoff. 19 minutes later, Soyuz entered its orbit 220-200 km from the ground. This route was somewhat lower than planned and in the 4th lap it was corrected. Immediately after entering orbit, routine tests were conducted on the spacecraft and it was found to be normal.

Near the launch of Apollo, Leonev and Kubsov flew their spacecraft close above Canaveral to congratulate their colleagues on their success. Apollo was launched on time and 64 minutes later connected with the docking tunnel. The helium bubble got stuck in the pipe carrying fuel to the Apollo engine, but it didn't cause any problems. The Apollo pilots found that a Florida fly was floating in their spaceship and it was suggested to them to conduct a number of experiments on it.

16.7 - the second day of the flight

In Apollo, problems arose with the tube that empties the urine out of the spacecraft and with the spacecraft's heating system before the pilots adjusted its wall to a comfortable temperature of 0 21. These faults were corrected. When Brand came to open the door of the linkage tunnel he noticed a malfunction. An electric cable in the attachment mechanism of the tunnel to Apollo came loose and due to this the attachment nozzle got stuck between Apollo and the tunnel and because of this Brand could not move tools towards the tunnel door in order to release its bolts. The malfunction raised fears that the flight schedule would be disrupted. The astronauts were ordered to deal with the problem only after sleeping. In the meantime, Apollo changed its course twice. The first time its trajectory was changed to 233-169 km and the second time it was adjusted to that of the Soyuz.

The sleep of the Soyuz pilots was delayed due to their attempt to fix the camera but they were not successful and they went to sleep. They sleep for about 4 hours. The Apollo pilots went to sleep about 3 hours after them. They sleep 8 hours. When the Soyuz pilots woke up they ate and checked the spacecraft, in the process they tried again to fix the camera and failed.

About 7 hours after the Soyuz pilots woke up, the Apollo pilots woke up, made a correction in the orbit and started to fix the fault in the attachment tunnel. According to instructions from Houston, Brand loosened one of the caps with a screwdriver and with a piece of tape took out the attachment nozzle. If he had not succeeded, only part of the plan would have been carried out - only the linkages. After the repair, Brand and Slyton entered the tunnel, checked it (about two hours after they woke up) and transferred equipment to it.

There is no shortage of work in Soyuz either. 26 minutes after the awakening of the Apollo pilots, Soyuz's orbit was changed to 225 km, a circular orbit. This correction was made shortly before the Apollo orbit correction. The Soyuz pilots then adjusted the amount of oxygen and pressure of their spacecraft in preparation for the dockings. Now they went to fix the camera and finally succeeded in doing so. According to instructions from the control center, they cut a piece of decorative material that decorated the spaceship. Using a screwdriver and scissors the camera was repaired. After that, biological experiments were conducted in Soyuz. In the remaining hours until the Labor Day Soyuz, the Apollo pilots engaged in scientific experiments that are not related to the experiments with the Russians. Soyuz pilots contacted the Houston control center. Leonov and Kobsov also contacted the Soliot 4 space laboratory pilot today.

Shortly after Apollo's launch, some of its computer's telemetry information was lost. This glitch was later fixed. Caused by an incorrect switch operation on Brand's part. There was a malfunction in the melting pot in the coupling tunnel. The reactor did not cool down and only later did it return to normal operation. The result: a joint experiment to obtain a uniform mixture of gold and lead was canceled. Another malfunction was in the X-ray detector. It took a long time to fix the malfunction by circuit connecting a power supply to high voltage and low voltage.

17.7 - the third day of the flight

Soyuz pilots go to sleep, 8 hours of sleep. 3 hours and 20 minutes later, the Apollo pilots also go to sleep, 8 hours of sleep. The Apollo pilots were unable to meet the quota of sleeping hours. 4 hours and 40 minutes after falling asleep they woke up due to a false alarm in the steering bells. They silenced the bells and fell asleep. An hour later they woke up again due to another false alarm. They gave up the remaining hours of sleep. Instead they handled the alarm bell and tried the pinning tunnel successfully. 6 experiments done before sleep were unsuccessful. Apollo 14 pilots had similar problems. The Soyuz pilots woke up 40 minutes before the Apollo pilots. They didn't lack faults either. The color TV system broke down. Leonov and Kubstev did correct the fault, but at the expense of the black and white television cameras. These did not work until the end of the flight.

In the afternoon there was a 28-minute TV broadcast from Apollo. 54 minutes after the broadcast, Apollo activated its main engine and entered an orbit of 185-164 km. Its distance from Soyuz is 480 km. 16 minutes after starting the engine there was a 10 minute TV broadcast from Apollo. 18 minutes later another change. on a 185-206 km route. Its distance from Soyuz is 269 km. 37 minutes from the start of the change, another change. The route is 206-202 km. 17 minutes from making the change, another 10 minute TV broadcast. 32 minutes after the end of the broadcast, Apollo performed the final docking maneuvers. Its orbit is 224-206 km and at a distance of 39 km from Soyuz. 32 minutes after the start of the final maneuvers, Apollo's distance from Soyuz is 45-30 meters. 19 minutes later it was attached to the Soyuz, 5 minutes before the scheduled time.

Apollo approached Soyuz at a speed of 8 km/h. At the moment of attachment, her speed was lower than 1.6 km/h. The attachment was soft. From Apollo's external television camera, it appears that Soyuz shook slightly at the moment of docking. Pilots of the Russian space station Soliot 4 watched the docking maneuvers and the docking itself. The attachment was made over the territory of West Germany. Airplanes interfered with the transmissions between the spacecraft and between them and the ground.

Apollo began chasing the Soyuz over South America. Over the western coast of Chile, Apollo approached the Soyuz to transmit a television photograph of the Russian spacecraft. At first it was difficult to see Soyuz, but then the lines of the spacecraft became clear in a light blue color. Over the coast of Portugal, Soyuz performed a 0 65 turn to allow Stafford better visibility.

Apollo used 388 kg of fuel to perform the maneuvers. At the time of the linkages, she had 907 kg of fuel left and the Soyuz had less than 136 kg left. If Apollo was unable to connect to Soyuz, it would have to try for another 3.5 hours. If the dockings were not carried out even then, it would have moved away from Soyuz to avoid a collision and would have postponed the dockings to 18.7/XNUMX.

20 minutes after the attachment, Stafford reported a smell of burnt material coming from the attachment tunnel. The Apollo pilots were ordered to wear gas masks, but there was no need since the smell dissipated quickly. The source of the smell is probably the electric reactor located in the tunnel and used for metallurgical experiments. There was no need to postpone the snaps.

39 minutes after the docking, a television transmission was made from Apollo for 7 minutes and 3 minutes later the transmission was made from the docking tunnel. This broadcast also lasted 7 minutes. 11 more minutes later, Stafford and Slayton entered the snapping tunnel. After comparing the pressures with Soyuz, the door of the tunnel closest to Soyuz was opened. Leonov entered the tunnel and shook hands with Stafford. The two Americans entered the Soyuz. They exchanged flags and letters with the Russians and signed the joint flight document. The two flew in at a festive meal.

18.7 - The fourth day of the flight

Stafford and Slayton stayed in the Soyuz two hours longer than planned, so their year was cut short. The Soyuz pilots slept 6 and a half hours and the Apollo pilots 7 hours. One hour and 42 minutes after the Apollo pilots woke up, a second exchange of crews took place, with Stafford Slayton and Leonov in Apollo, while Kobsov and Brand were in Soyuz. During the work, festive feasts were held in both spaceships. Stafford gave Leonov an explanation about the structure of the Apollo, and as they passed over Braham Kobsov gave Brandt an explanation about his country.

Six hours after the start of the second shift, the third shift was held. Leonov and Stafford in Soyuz: Brand, Kubsov and Slayton in Apollo. Part of the astronauts' work was televised and later a press conference was held. Two hours and 14 minutes after the start of the third shift, the last shift was held. Each team returned to their spacecraft. Leonov for Soyuz and Brand for Apollo. At the end of the exchange, the Soyuz pilots fell asleep. The Apollo pilots went to sleep 50 minutes after them.

During the work of the teams, medical, biological and metallurgical experiments, earthly and astronomical observations were made. Two small glitches happened today. In the Soyuz there was a small, albeit insignificant, drop in atmospheric pressure and in the attachment tunnel there was a small fault and it was repaired.

19.7/XNUMX – the fifth day of the flight

Soyuz pilots slept a little over 7 hours and Apollo pilots over 10 hours. After awaking from their sleep, the two teams began preparations for detachment. During the separation the Apollo pilots remained in their underwear while the Soyuz pilots were dressed in their spacesuits. Apollo moved away from Soyuz so that it blocked the sunlight. This experiment of artificial solar eclipse lasted half an hour. After that, the two spaceships flew side by side in a formation flight with the distance between them being 25-20 meters. This flight lasted 3 hours. All that time Apollo was orbiting Soyuz. At the end of an experiment, a final attachment maneuver was conducted.

This time Soyuz is the active one, although Apollo performed all the maneuvers. The spacecraft were attached to each other for several minutes. The purpose of the attachment was to test rescue methods and to test the attachment mechanism of Soyuz. The attachments were accompanied by an unexpected malfunction. Soyuz temporarily lost control of its attitude and due to this performed a spin of several degrees. The sunlight falling on the side of the spacecraft dazzled Slayton for a moment. Slayton managed to lock only one of the three bolts of the attachment tunnel to the Soyuz. Apollo had to make a rotation around an axis by several degrees in order to get a correct direction to perform a perfect alignment. This action involved a lot of effort. This effort was not absent from Soyuz either. In those seconds, great pressure was exerted on the Soyuz attachment collar. In the Russian control center there was a concern that because of this the spaceship had ruptured and caused a leak. The inspection of the spacecraft by its pilot eliminated this concern. At the end of the experiment, the two spaceships were separated from each other and moved to other orbits. From now until they land, each spacecraft performs independent experiments. In total, Apollo and Soyuz were adjacent for 44 hours.

Soyuz pilots today partially repaired 2 of the black and white television cameras of the orbital cabin. Before starting their experiments, both teams fell asleep for several hours. Soyuz pilots slept 3 hours earlier than Apollo pilots.

20.7 - the sixth day of the flight

Astronomical and geological observations were conducted in the Apollo spacecraft and the final experiments were conducted in the Soyuz spacecraft and preparations began for the return to Israel. During these preparations, the spacecraft's engines were also tested. On the last night before their flight, Leonov and Kobsov took sleeping pills. An electrocardiogram test showed signs of fatigue in Leonov's heart and he also took a pill to stabilize his heart.

All the photographs taken by the Apollo pilots were taken simultaneously by auxiliary teams in several countries, ships and planes of the 6th and 7th fleets (USA), planes of the Royal Air Force (UK), planes of the air forces from New Zealand , Australia, India and ground crews from Egypt, Paraguay, Qatar, a ship from the Guatemalan Navy and two ocean research ships from the state of Maine (USA).

The astronauts photographed African deserts, submarine hideouts and warm water eddies that may be the driving force of the Gulf Stream. Flight controllers considered canceling filming a large vortex east of Gibraltar today. Her face and the mention that ships from the 6th Fleet and planes from the American Navy and the British Royal Navy are assisting this experiment changed the opinion of the flight inspectors. Eddy currents that form in the Mediterranean east of Gibraltar spin in huge circles and do not mix with the surrounding sea water. They are usually warmer, their salt content is smaller and the other seawaters are therefore ideal hiding places for submarines.

The differences in heat and salinity in these eddies disrupt the sound waves sent to detect submarines. There is therefore a need to find a way to detect eddies from space. It seems that they can be identified by their shape and color. The eddies will appear in the photographs as clear circles whose color will be lighter than the color of the surrounding water or darker. The Apollo pilots photographed 6 eddies of cold water near Gibraltar, between Tunisia and Sicily, east of New Zealand, in the Coral Sea and 2 more in the Caribbean Sea. One of the two whirlpools in the Caribbean Sea was also photographed for another reason. It is a vortex of warm water near the eastern coast of Mexico in the Yucatan Channel. This eddy consists of hundreds of ripples of single water and ocean researchers believe that they are the reason for the formation of the Gulf Stream and its speed.

The film used by the Apollo pilots is a sensitive and new color film developed for the US Navy and before the flight the shroud of secrecy was removed from it. In this film there is a fine distinction in shades of color. He is able to detect 3 shades of red, pink, orange and yellow. Due to the sensitivity of the film to distinguish so many shades, it was used to photograph the deserts that stretch north across the African continent, these are among the causes of the drought that hit Chad, Mauritania this year. Nigeria and Ethiopia. New desert dunes advanced as far north as Algeria and Egypt. In 1773, Algeria planted tree barriers across its southern regions to test whether this new vegetation would be able to slow the spread of the desert.

It is possible that the photographs of the desert will show if the wall of vegetation is working. There is no doubt that the color shades that distinguish between old and new deserts will be seen in the photographs, discovering the formation of new deserts is the primary goal of photographs from space. Old deserts are reddish or pinkish in color because the winds and the little rain that falls in the deserts oxidize the iron and give them a reddish hue. Younger deserts have not yet undergone this process and their color in the photographs is yellow. It was hoped that the photographs would show where the desert is spreading and the consequent drought. This way the peoples of Africa and the world will be able to know who is going to be affected by the drought.

As part of experiments to test the ability to see with the naked eye, Brand claimed that he saw the 3 pyramids near the Nile. Other targets for testing eyesight were the natural racetrack on the salt flats in the state of Utah (USA) and the giant paintings in Peru.

21.7 - the seventh day of the flight

For the Apollo pilots it was a day full of scientific experiments, biological experiments, biomedical experiments during which they measured the length of their legs (it is known that during space flights the muscles of the legs contract), contraction experiments, metallurgical experiments, chemical experiments and terrestrial observations during which they searched for water and minerals. The astronauts photographed Europe, Australia, South America, the Sahara desert, etc. They also searched for oil in the Atlantic Ocean.

Soyuz completed its mission today and landed 480 km from Bikaner. Due to the strong wind blowing at the landing site, Soyuz missed its target by 9 km. Leonov and Kobsov wore the space suit during the landing. When they left the spaceship after landing, their walk was unsteady. Kobsov said: "It was difficult, very difficult, but now everything is behind us, we have carried out everything that was planned" during the landing of Soyuz, the Apollo pilots were sleeping. 18 minutes after the landing they were awakened from their sleep and informed of the Russian landing and they broadcast congratulations to Leonov and Kovsov. In total, Soyuz stayed in space for 5 days, 12 hours and 31 minutes.

22.7 - the eighth day of the flight

Terrestrial observations, astronomy and biological experiments. The astronauts made photographs in South America, in the Andes, in the Peruvian desert, in Venezuela, Italy, China, Australia and observations over the Nile estuary and over the areas from which the locust flocks come in Saudi Arabia.

The US State Department asked the astronauts not to take pictures of the Gobi desert because China conducts its missile and nuclear weapons tests in this area. The areas that the Apollo pilots did photograph are in remote parts of the desert and are not at all close to the test centers. The astronauts photographed this site because it has unusual dunes that stretch across the desert, forming almost straight lines and proving that the winds blow instead forever in the same direction.
The astronauts photographed the Red Simpson Desert in Australia and the red tide that poisons most of the fish hunted in New England. It turned out that some of the eggs that were in the spaceship had hatched. As part of the independent program, more experiments were now carried out than with the Russians.
23.7 - the ninth day of the flight

Astronomical observations, preparations for returning to Israel and a press conference. When they made the astronomical observations (EUV was used for this purpose) the Apollo pilots discovered a new star in the galaxy probably 100 times hotter than the Sun. At the press conference Slayton said that the flight was very easy. According to him, the main problem is managing the household. Everything that slips from the hands floats and must be chased. "Meals, which are a very simple thing on Earth, consume 3 times as much time in space... That's why we need a traffic policeman to determine who goes where and in what way. It turns out that we bump into each other all the time." Towards the end of the day, the attachment tunnel was disconnected from the spacecraft and the latter moved to another orbit.
24.7 - the tenth day of the flight

Apollo changed its course again and a Doppler effect experiment was conducted to test the drift of the continents. At the end of the experiment the astronauts fell asleep and at the end of the day they landed 320 km west of Hawaii. At the same moment when the spaceship touched the ocean water, the parachute caught on its nose and turned it over. The spaceship remained like this for several minutes until the flotation balloons inflated and turned it so that its base was in contact with the water and its nose was pointing upwards. In total, the Apollo pilots stayed in space for 9 days and 28 minutes.

Small glitches accompanied the landing. At an altitude of 33 km, the roll engines were activated to stabilize the roll. while entering the atmosphere. The mandatory action at this altitude is the correct selection of the angle of penetration into the atmosphere by the computer with the disconnection of the toilet compartment from the command cabin. This automatic computer instruction was not carried out and Stafford had to navigate the spacecraft manually using a reference display panel. Loud aerodynamic noises prevented him and Brand from discussing the malfunction. In normal mode, there is no possibility to conduct conversations at this time since the spaceship is navigating automatically.

When Apollo deployed its parachutes at an altitude of 7.6 km and its speed slowed, it navigated manually as usual and Brand had to stop the operation of the navigation engines at that moment. He activated other switches and the engines continued to run without need. The nitrogen tetroxide ( 4 O 2 N ) was released and exited through the roll engines and spread on the outer wall of the spacecraft. Another part of the gas found its way into the spacecraft when the air pressure valve allowed atmospheric air to enter the chamber when the pressure in it rose to 0.9 atmospheres. This valve is at a distance of 1 - 0.66 meters from the nozzles of the rolling motor. The astronauts noticed burns on their hands and face, around the eyes, mouth and nose. The effect of the gas on Brand was stronger and he passed out for a minute. The gas remained in the spacecraft until the astronauts stabilized the spacecraft in ocean water, they wore gas masks and activated the ventilation system that pumped the gas out of the spacecraft.
Post-landing X-rays showed that fluid had begun to build up in the astronauts' lungs, which worried the doctors. The astronauts were admitted to the intensive care unit of Honolulu while being treated with cortisone and a few days later they left the hospital.

From tests of the course of the flight it became clear that the attachment mechanism worked better in space than in the vacuum tunnel where it was tested on the eve of the flight.
Biological findings of the flight

In an article published at the beginning of 1977 by scientists from the University of Louisville, Kentucky (USA) it became clear that there are several differences between fish born on Earth and fish born on this space flight, mainly in the way they lived. However, it was not clear if the changes were due to a fundamental change in their body structure.