May 24 1972

From The Space Library

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Current revision

President Nixon and U.S.S.R. Premier Aleksey N. Kosygin in Moscow signed Agreement Concerning Cooperation in the Exploration and Use of Outer Space for Peaceful Purposes. Agreement read: "The United States of America and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics; Considering the role which the U.S.A. and the U.S.S.R. play in the exploration and use of outer space for peaceful purposes; Striving for a further expansion of cooperation between the U.S.A. and the U.S.S.R. in the exploration and use of outer space for peaceful purposes; Noting the positive cooperation which the parties have already experienced in this area; Desiring to make the results of scientific research gained from the exploration and use of outer space for peaceful purposes available for the benefit of the peoples of the two countries and of all peoples of the world.

Taking into consideration the provisions of the Treaty on Principles Governing the Activities of States in the Exploration and Use of Outer Space, including the Moon and Other Celestial Bodies, as well as the Agreement on the Rescue of Astronauts, the Return of Astronauts, and the Return of Objects Launched into Outer Space; In accordance with the Agreement between the United States of America and the Union of Socialist Soviet Republics on Exchanges and Cooperation in Scientific, Technical, Educational, Cultural, and Other Fields, signed April 11, 1972, and in order to develop further principles of mutually beneficial cooperation between the two countries: Have agreed as follows:

"Article 1. The parties will develop cooperation in the fields of space meteorology; study of the natural environment; exploration of near earth space, the moon and the planets; and space biology and medicine; and, in particular, will cooperate to take all appropriate measures to encourage and achieve the fulfillment of the Summary of Results of Discussion on Space Cooperation Between the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration and the Academy of Sciences of the U.S.S.R. dated January 21, 1971.

"Article 2. The parties will carry out such cooperation by means of mutual exchanges of scientific information and delegations, through meetings of scientists and specialists of both countries, and also in such other ways as may be mutually agreed. Joint working groups may be created for the development and implementation of appropriate programs of cooperation.

"Article 3. The Parties have agreed to carry out projects for developing compatible rendezvous and docking systems of United States and Soviet manned spacecraft and stations in order to enhance the safety of manned flights in space and to provide the opportunity for conducting joint scientific experiments in the future. It is planned that the first experimental flight to test these systems be conducted during 1975, envisaging the docking of the United States Apollo-type spacecraft and a Soviet Soyuz-type spacecraft with visits of Astronauts in each other's spacecraft. The implementation of these projects will be carried out on the basis of principles and procedures which will be developed in accordance with the Summary of Results of the Meeting Between Representatives of the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration and the U.S.S.R. Academy of Sciences on Question of Developing Compatible Systems for Rendezvous and Docking of Manned Spacecraft and Space Stations of the U.S.A. and the U.S.S.R. dated April 6, 1972.

"Article 4. The Parties will encourage international efforts to re- solve problems of international law in the exploration and use of outer space for peaceful purposes with the aim of strengthening the legal order in space and further developing international space law and will cooperate in this field.

"Article 5. The Parties may by mutual agreement determine other areas of cooperation in the exploration and use of outer space for peaceful purposes.

"Article 6. This Agreement shall enter into force upon signature and shall remain in force for five years. It may be modified or extended by mutual agreement of the Parties."

Plans for joint U.S.-U.S.S.R. rendezvous and docking mission were outlined in Fact Sheet issued by White House Press Secretary in Moscow: "Under today's agreement both sides commit to the development of a complete project schedule, and to meeting that schedule. Arrangements will be made for the necessary contact and understanding between specialists.... Training exercises will be conducted in [each] country for the other country's flight crew and ground operations personnel." Working groups would meet in July to plan engineering aspects of mission. Persons directly participating in flight operations of test mission would be included in working groups two years before mission. During mission each country's control center would be expected to control its own craft, but on decisions affecting joint elements of program- including countdown coordination-consultations would occur with other country. "There will be preplanned contingency courses of action. Television down-link will be transmitted to the other country's control center, and voice communications between vehicle and ground will be available to the other country's control center on a pre-planned basis." Flight crews would be trained in other country's language at least well enough to understand it and act in response during normal and contingency courses of action. Apollo command and service module (CSM) and Saturn IB booster would be used. Additional cost of mission to U.S. would be about $250 million. Project Directors would be Glynn S. Lunney, Assistant to Apollo Program Manager for Operations, Experiments, and Government Furnished Equipment at Manned Spacecraft Center, and Soviet Academician K. D. Bushuyev. (Texts)

Signing of space cooperation agreement in Moscow was announced by Vice President Spiro T. Agnew at Washington, D.C., press briefing attended by Dr. James C. Fletcher, NASA Administrator; Dr. Edward E. David, Jr., Presidential Science Adviser; Glynn S. Lunney, Assistant to Apollo Program Manager for Operations, Experiments, and Government Furnished Equipment at Manned Spacecraft Center; and Apollo 9 Astronaut James A. McDivitt, Special Assistant for Organizational Affairs to MSC Director. Dr. Fletcher said: "We . . . are very pleased that the President has been able to meet with the officials of the Soviet Union and to provide what we think is by far the most meaningful cooperation in space achieved ever by these two nations." Dr. Fletcher described rendezvous and docking of Apollo space craft and Soviet Soyuz spacecraft as "perhaps the most dramatic" commitment under cooperation agreement. Spacecraft were at present incompatible "because they have different atmospheres. Theirs is a normal atmosphere, ours is a low pressure oxygen . . . atmosphere and there are certain communications and electronics incompatibilities."

Spacecraft would be made compatible by docking module, new device constructed by NASA to link spacecraft. Apollo spacecraft would be launched on Saturn IB rocket. "Then we will make a maneuver at 100 miles [160 kilometers] or so altitude, . .. go in and pick out the docking adaptor from the Saturn and then continue on in orbit. Meanwhile the Soviets will launch their Soyuz ... [and] rendezvous or at least move their altitude to something like 150 miles [240 kilometers]. We won't be at the same altitude, but hopefully we will be far enough north so too much maneuvering will not be required." Rendezvous would be performed primarily with U.S.-developed guidance and instrumentation. Then spacecraft would dock with "new kind of . . . mechanism we call androgynous, because it doesn't consist of a prop and a drogue. . . . It is an inverse docking mechanism so they can dock with us or we can dock with them either way." System "will apply not only to this ... mission, but all succeeding spacecraft ... so that we do have the capability, over a long period, of rendezvousing and docking with each other's spacecraft."

Dr. Fletcher said original plan to attempt rendezvous and docking with Soviet Salyut space station had been canceled when U.S.S.R. "found that was a very complicated mission because it involved not just two launches, their Soyuz and our APOLLO, but a third of their Salyut." Universal docking system using docking adaptor between Apollo and Soyuz spacecraft had been selected because "there has been concern for many years that we did not have a rescue capability in space [so] that we each would have the option of rescuing the other. Future spacecraft beyond 1975, which is the planned date for this mission, will all have the capability." Total cost of project was estimated at $250 million. Fringe benefits from U.S: U.S.S.R. joint program were: "It does have the impact of requiring 4,400 people to be employed . . . primarily from the aerospace industry, partly to prepare the command service model and the Saturn 1B launch device, but also to construct the new docking adaptor," and "it will keep the APOLLO team together . . . through 1975 in preparation for the first launch of the shuttle ... in 1978." NASA was optimistic that cooperative space effort "may lead to greatly increased cooperation on still other programs." Joint mission would be "most visible" U.S.-U.S.S.R. cooperative effort in history, "since it will involve cosmonauts and astronauts working together on a very complex mission in space while the whole world is watching, presumably on television via satellite relay." (Transcript)

Second press briefing on U.S.-U.S.S.R. space cooperation agreement was held at NASA Hq., following White House briefing. Dr. James C. Fletcher, NASA Administrator, said: "This is not the culmination but a very major milestone in the long period of negotiations with the Soviet Union on space cooperation And in my judgment this is at least one of the most important missions that NASA has and that is to promote international cooperation." Mission was, as well, "an important part of the new program of NASA for the 70's." Rendezvous and docking mission could be accomplished in context of constant NASA budget. "This constant budget ... and the programs . . . now planned, the Skylab, the shuttle and now the international rendezvous and docking mission show I think the kind of program that we envision for the rest of this decade." Program had congressional support "at least partially because of the strong international flavor that NASA has in manned space." Dr. Fletcher said crew for joint mission had not yet been selected. Assistant Administrator for Manned Space Flight Dale Myers and Glynn S. Lunney, Assistant to Apollo Program Manager, explained details of plans in response to press questions. (Transcript)

Agreement on Cooperation in the Fields of Science and Technology was signed in Moscow by U.S. Secretary of State William P. Rogers and U.S.S.R. State Committee for Science and Technology Chairman Vladimir A. Kirillin. Main objective was to "provide broad opportunities for both Parties to combine the efforts of their scientists and specialists in working on major problems, whose solution will promote the progress of science and technology for the benefit of both countries and of mankind." Cooperation might include exchange of scientists and specialists; exchange of scientific and technical information; joint development and implementation of programs and projects in basic and applied sciences; joint research, development, and testing, and exchange of research results and experience between scientific research institutions and organizations; organization of joint courses, confer- ences, and symposia; and help in establishing contacts and arrangements between U.S. firms and Soviet enterprises.

Agreement would establish U.S.-U.S.S.R. Joint Commission on Scientific and Technical Cooperation to meet at least annually, in Washington and Moscow alternately. Dr. Edward E. David, Jr., Presidential Science Adviser, said at Washington, D.C., press conference following Moscow signing that Agreement would "enable Soviet and American specialists to solve some major common problems." Cooperation would produce "more vigorous activities here on research, management and systems science, wide use of natural resources, weather modification, super-conductivity, high energy physics and basic science." U.S. and U.S.S.R. had already derived major benefits from cooperation in fusion technology and "in the magneto hydrodynamic area, the breeder reactor area and in the solar energy area, we are doing things ... that are of interest to the Soviet Union." (PD, 6/5/72, 921- 2; Transcript)

Vladimir A. Kirillin, Chairman of U.S.S.R. State Committee for Science and Technology, and Soviet space expert Academician Boris Petrov, held Moscow press conference following signing of U.S.- U.S.S.R. space and science and technology agreements. Petrov said: "It is difficult to overestimate the importance of these works, this research, which has pursued humane goals of ensuring the safety of space flights, The concluded agreements give ground for the belief that these directions in Soviet-American cooperation in outer space will develop successfully in the future." Kirillin said of science and technology agreement: "I think that if we get down to the realization, to the implementation of this agreement, it will definitely yield positive results." (Transcript)

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