Nov 17 1973
From The Space Library
Soviet Apollo Soyuz Test Project Cosmonaut Aleksey A. Leonov discussed progress and problems of the ASTP to date in an inter-view published in Sotsialisticheskaya Industriya. Generally, everything was progressing according to plan, but "as yet there is no unified search and docking system either on our or the American spacecraft. Only now are designers creating such a system on Apollo and Soyuz." Spacecraft design and technical difficulties were being overcome, but there had been many problems. Personal relations between U.S. and Soviet crews and experts were very good: "The American astronauts are knowledgeable and highly skilled specialists. Suffice it to say that my opposite number; Colonel [Thomas P.] Stafford, has flown in space three times. Among ourselves we call the program . . . 'the meeting on the Elbe' in space. It was in 1945 that Soviet and American soldiers marked their joint victory over fascism by meeting on the Elbe. Thirty years later we dream of marking a victory over the accursed 'cold war' with a unique space 'meeting on the Elbe.'" The language barrier had not yet been surmounted. "We are learning English, the Americans are learning Russian. It is said that Russian is the more difficult. But Stafford is courageously surmounting the barrier. Recently we were visited by Dr. [George M.] Low, deputy director of NASA, Eugene Cernan and Tom Stafford. Stafford made an entire speech on the space meeting [see Oct. 1-18] in relatively fluent Russian. And I assumed the role of translator." (FBIS-Sov, 12/6/73, B3)
Thomas G. Pownall, President of Marietta Aerospace Div. of Martin Marietta Corp, was elected Chairman of the Board of Governors of the Aerospace Industries Assn. of America, Inc. He succeeded W. Paul Thayer, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of LTV Corp. Dr. Karl G. Harr, Jr., was reelected President. (AIAA Release)
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