--- title: Buzz Aldrin on Apollo-Soyuz: We Need More Handshakes in Space description: The 40th anniversary of the Apollo-Soyuz project is a reminder of the power of international cooperation in space canonical: https://time.com/3962777/buzz-aldrin-apollo-soyuz-space/ author: Buzz Aldrin article:opinion: true article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2015-07-17T17:31:40.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-08-04T07:41:23.620Z article:section: Ideas og:title: Buzz Aldrin on Apollo-Soyuz: We Need More Handshakes in Space og:description: The 40th anniversary of the Apollo-Soyuz project is a reminder of the power of international cooperation in space og:url: https://time.com/3962777/buzz-aldrin-apollo-soyuz-space/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt378c95f030727491/69885b6ccd68489b960a0dbc/apollo-soyuz-anniversary-0006.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 2168 og:image:height: 1220 og:image:alt: American astronaut Deke Slayton and Russian cosmonaut Alexei Leonov during the US-Soviet Apollo-Soyuz linkup. og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Buzz Aldrin on Apollo-Soyuz: We Need More Handshakes in Space twitter:description: The 40th anniversary of the Apollo-Soyuz project is a reminder of the power of international cooperation in space twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt378c95f030727491/69885b6ccd68489b960a0dbc/apollo-soyuz-anniversary-0006.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Buzz Aldrin: We Need More Handshakes in Space > Sponsored content. 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It explains how TIME's journalism is made, from the first pitch through the editorial decisions behind a finished story or cover. #### How can I read about how TIME chooses its covers? Inside TIME is the newsletter where TIME's Editor-in-Chief explains cover selection and the editorial reasoning behind major stories. It is free at time.com/newsletters. #### Who is the editor of TIME? Sam Jacobs is TIME's Editor-in-Chief. He writes Inside TIME, a twice-weekly newsletter about the newsroom's reporting and editorial decisions. #### Is Inside TIME free? Yes. Inside TIME is a free newsletter, available at time.com/newsletters. A paid TIME subscription is separate and available at time.com/subscribe-agent. ## Video: A Year in Space - Ep.1: Leaving Home [Watch (HLS stream): A Year in Space - Ep.1: Leaving Home](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/6ookw4W2.m3u8) (13:31)  _Published 2021-03-11. A Year in Space - Ep.1: Leaving Home_  by [Buzz Aldrin](https://time.com/author/buzz-aldrin/)  ## Buzz Aldrin Jul 17, 2015 5:31 PM UTC  American astronaut Deke Slayton and Russian cosmonaut Alexei Leonov during the US-Soviet Apollo-Soyuz linkup. American astronaut Deke Slayton and Russian cosmonaut Alexei Leonov during the US-Soviet Apollo-Soyuz linkup. NASA  by [Buzz Aldrin](https://time.com/author/buzz-aldrin/)  ## Buzz Aldrin Jul 17, 2015 5:31 PM UTC In addition to reaching distant Pluto, there was another significant celestial event this week. It was an anniversary that needs to be remembered, not only for its historical importance but also for its significance as a model for collaboration in space in the 21st century. Forty years ago, the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project signaled the first international human spaceflight—a by-product of mutual trust between the U.S. and the then-Soviet Union and a blend of technological wherewithal, and, of course, sky-high politics. On July 17, 1975, a NASA Apollo spacecraft carrying three astronauts linked up with a Soviet Soyuz spacecraft and its two-person cosmonaut crew. After the famous “handshake in space,” the Soviet cosmonauts and U.S. astronauts worked on joint experiments. From a technical standpoint, that history-making mission sharpened engineering expertise on both sides, making possible following joint space flights, specifically the Space Shuttle–Mir Program and today’s International Space Station. That nine-day Apollo-Soyuz mission was a game-changer, bringing together two adversaries during the Cold War and the often-called “Space Race.” The competition between the U.S. and the Soviet Union was, in my view, left in the lunar dust when Neil Armstrong and I firmly planted our boots years earlier on the time-weathered Moon. Our “one small step” translated into a U.S. victory at the lunar goal line. Nevertheless, our nation’s space program represented then—and more so today—a tool to forge international partnerships not only in Earth orbit … but also beyond. ### See Photos From the Historic Apollo-Soyuz Mission  This artist's concept illustrates the Apollo-type spacecraft about to dock with a Soviet Soyuz-type spacecraft (right). NASA  President Richard Nixon and Soviet Premier Alexei Kosygin sign an agreement in May of 1972 that paved the way for the Apollo–Soyuz mission. NASA  The U.S.-USSR crew for the 1975 Apollo Soyuz Test Project mission: astronaut Tom Stafford (standing on left), commander of the American crew; cosmonaut Alexei Leonov (standing on right), commander of the Soviet crew; astronaut Donald Slayton (seated on left), docking module pilot of the American crew; astronaut Vance Brand (seated in center), command module pilot of the American crew; and cosmonaut Valeriy Kubasov (seated on right), engineer on the Soviet crew. NASA  The Soviet Soyuz launch vehicle leaves from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. Roscosmos  The Saturn IB launch vehicle lifts the American crew into orbit on July 15, 1975. NASA  Activity inside Mission Control in Houston during the Apollo Soyuz Test Project docking mission. NASA  American astronauts Tom Stafford and Deke Slayton hold tubes of vodka given to them by Russian cosmonauts during their historic rendezvous and linkup of Apollo and Soyuz spacecraft. NASA  The American Apollo spacecraft as seen in Earth orbit from the Soviet Soyuz 19 spacecraft during the joint U.S.-USSR Apollo Soyuz Test Project (ASTP) mission. Roscosmos  The Soviet Soyuz spacecraft approaches the Apollo for linkup in space, the first rendezvous and docking of vessels from different nations. NASA—NASA  Astronaut Tom Stafford (in foreground) and cosmonaut Alexei Leonov make their historic handshake in space on July 17, 1975. NASA  President Gerald R. Ford watches crewmen Tom Stafford, Donald Slayton and Valeriy Kubasov on a television as he talks to them by phone while they orbited the Earth on July 18, 1975\. The American Apollo spacecraft and Soviet Soyuz spacecraft were docked. The White House  American astronaut Deke Slayton and Russian cosmonaut Alexei Leonov during the US-Soviet Apollo-Soyuz linkup. NASA One such partnership could be with China, a country that is ramping up its prowess in human and robotic space exploration. I’ve personally met with Chinese astronauts, and in my conversations with them, it’s clear that they have an agenda to use their own space facilities in Earth orbit to explore the Moon with robots and humans, and dispatch spacecraft to Mars. I was heartened to see recent movement in opening up U.S.-China discussion on a number of space-related matters. In June, Secretary of State John Kerry took active part in the seventh round of the [U.S.-China Strategic and Economic Dialogue](http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2015/06/244205.htm) in Washington, D.C. American and Chinese officials addressed a set of important bilateral, regional, and global issues. More than 70 important outcomes resulted from the dialogue. Among the topics were space security, satellite collision avoidance, weather monitoring, climate research, and establishing regular civil space cooperation consultations. To that last point, the U.S. and China decided to establish regular bilateral government-to-government consultations on civil space cooperation. The first U.S.-China Civil Space Cooperation Dialogue is to take place in China before the end of October. This is an important, perhaps seminal, window of opportunity. As I’ve [written in TIME](http://time.com/3916379/buzz-aldrin-china-space-partnership/), I encourage movement toward an invite to have Chinese space travelers visit the International Space Station, and I envision American astronauts and commercial space firms sojourning to Chinese laboratories in Earth orbit. Not only would such agreements help bolster U.S. leadership in space, but it would also set in motion the prospect of other joint space initiatives at the Moon and other destinations, above all, the planet Mars. So let’s look back and build upon Apollo-Soyuz, a signature element of space cooperation that demonstrated a dramatic shift in U.S. policy from competition to détente. Apollo-Soyuz signaled a dramatic shift in space activities and the recognition that space was a finite and sensitive environment in which the activities of one nation could potentially destroy the ability of all nations to utilize space for peaceful purposes. Cooperation with China could lead to a similar realization by the many new entrants to the community of space-faring nations. It is my conviction that the real objective of cooperation with China should be working together to settle Mars. Both nations, and other countries, need to learn together and sharpen their space skills to advance such a great collaborative adventure. Doing so would build upon the legacy of Apollo-Soyuz, a history-making mission that set in motion the optimistic and promising quest to explore space for all humankind. _Buzz Aldrin, best known for his Apollo 11 moonwalk, holds a doctoral degree in astronautics and continues to wield influence as an international advocate of space science and planetary exploration. Aldrin and co-author, Leonard David, wrote_ [_Mission to Mars – My Vision for Space Exploration_](http://www.amazon.com/dp/1426210175/?tag=timecom-20)_, published in 2013 by the National Geographic Society. Aldrin’s new children’s book,_ [_Welcome to Mars: Making a Home on the Red Planet_](http://www.amazon.com/Welcome-Mars-Making-Home-Planet/dp/1426322062)_, co-authored with Marianne Dyson, is available in September._ _Time is following the yearlong mission between American astronaut Scott Kelly and Russian cosmonaut Mikhail Kornienko, who are 111 days into a yearlong mission aboard the international space station._ [_Click here to watch the series_](http://time.com/space)_, or watch Episode 1, “Leaving Home,” below._ ## Transcript [ MUSIC ] It is a long road and it is very hard. I've seen him behind the scenes. I've seen the hard work he's put in, and here we are, and this is the moment. And so, it can't not Lot pull you in and a joke or two here and there. [ MUSIC ] I do sometimes dream of being in space. Sometimes I'll wake up and I'll tell Miko, I had this dream I was launching a space shuttle or a space station or sometimes there are people with me. Like she's been with me in my dreams, my kids have. But in reality, while I'm up there most of humanity is 250 miles below you. If anything goes wrong on earth. You're not coming home [ MUSIC ] [ INAUDIBLE ] How's it going for you now? It's actually going pretty good. [ MUSIC ] In float suit Let me know if you're good to stay in for another hour. Got my [ UNKNOWN ] [ MUSIC ] For decades human beings as a whole and Americans in particular have been talking about going to Mars. Mars. As long ago as 1969, after the Apollo 11 moon landing, people were predicting Americans would be on Mars by 1975. It has been a dream deferred. For half a century. [ MUSIC ] Getting to Mars requires multiple systems in Nasa to be working at once. The system that's the most fragile and destructible of all, however, is the human body. It's the one we didn't invent. It's the one we're stuck with. [ MUSIC ] If we plan to get to Mars, we have to figure out how to make that biological machine survive in a place it was not built to survive. [ MUSIC ] Scott Kelly. Has been working toward this mission his entire career. He's been working toward this mission his entire life in some respects. [ MUSIC ] He knows what it's like to have a football field size piece of $ 100 billion infrastructure. In his control and now he is going back for one year to run one of the most important bio- medical studies NASA has ever run [ MUSIC ] Yeah, the way he misses the people, and then the weather. It's kinda like. Well, it's going outside. There's no sun on your face. You never feel this on my feet, this fire. You never feel this cold breeze. It's always exactly the same. So I had this Texans hat. And it was completely faded and stained and it was the best hat ever and then I lost them. So, I went and I bought two of the exact same hat. This one's gonna go to Cuz I stand with me. But then I took the other one, and I strewed him to the fence over there. And he's going to be exposed to the Houston weather for a year. And he's going to turn back into old smokey for me when I get home. You're gonna come home, and a year later, you're gonna see earth changed something too. I hope not too much. [ LAUGH ] We'll figure it out. When the first time like I actually had an interaction with you at work you came in. And I thought. It was so weird to me now to think of. You thought it was my brother? I couldn't tell the difference between the two of you which is weird to me now. Because I'm like I can tell When you; re walking away I know exactly who's who. [ MUSIC ] Yeah, we used to look, I guess, very much alike. To some extent still, for people who don't know us. And my mother used to dress us the same. Now look at these old pictures with Orange shorts, and a striped orange shirt, and a bow tie. [ MUSIC ] When we were little we had our own secret language. We did almost everything together, and I remember laying in bed one time in the morning, and talking to my brother about how we were gonna build an airplane in the back yard. We just said at five or six years old we figured we could do that. Like we had the skill to do this. Obviously, we didn't. We didn't get very far with the airplane or later with the spaceship. [ MUSIC ] I think twins tend to be a little bit different. I think their relationship is different than just siblings. [ MUSIC ] You okay? Yep. [ MUSIC ] So, this thing is not meant to walk around in. [ LAUGH ] No. NASA's doing kind of a comparative study between my brother Mark and I, since we're identical twins. I call him much more when I'm in space than I do on earth. And it's because you just feel like you're so far away, you need to try to maintain some kind of connection. I'll be probably more excited for him than anybody else. I've flown four flights. This'll be his fourth flight. For my mom's passed away, but for my dad to have gone through this whole experience eight times now, that's a lot. [ MUSIC ] Throughout history people have done things that are risky. So even though it is a risky thing to be doing, and I think it's a lot more risky than some people might think, it, in my mind, is worth it even if the unfortunate And tragic thing was to happen to myself and my crew mates, I still think it's worth it. Being part of something that you feel is larger than yourself [ MUSIC ] [ INAUDIBLE ] it's going to be a long year for I'll tell you that. Dad, I can call you from space and harass you, just as much as I can harass you over the phone here. You don't have to worry. Okay. Thank you. [ LAUGH ] Got your tunes, your headphones. Uh- huh. [ MUSIC ] [ LAUGH ] That was funny. Oh. Yep. What did you say this morning that was funny? And I told you don't say that, yay. God. It would. What was I talking about. Oh, when you said goodbye, dad. Goodbye, dad. I'm going to miss your silky smoothness. Should I show you how the remote works? I think I got it now, I think I got it. We're on our own. I'm going to jump in the shower. Real quick. Okay. [ MUSIC ] [ NOISE ] Excuse me everybody! Can we be really quiet for a sound test real quick? Sound check. [ MUSIC ] Hello Scott And Gabby and I just wanted to say Bon Voyage. How do you say that? Bon Voyage. And you know we know you only have a couple of days in the US and then you are gone for I don't know like five years or something. Do you know what it is? How long? One year in space. Hey dad. I just want you to know that I'm really gonna miss you. You made so many sacrifices over the years for Charlotte and I. You helped me become the person I am today. Hi Dad, I'd like to wish you good luck on your trip. It's exciting and you're going to be working, but remember to take in the view. I love you, Daddy. [ INAUDIBLE ] People ask me what am I going to do, and I always just say, you know, I'm going to just see how far love travels. You want to know how long a year is. It's 31. Six million seconds. It will be 31. 6 million times you're on my mind. I said to my brother I'll be in space and flying all the way around the sun one lap at a year. And he's like so will I. The rest of us will be doing the same thing. On spaceship Earth. I get the question, how does it feel to be the daughter of an astronaut. You know he's been an astronaut since I was one year's old, I wouldn't know anything else. I can't compare it to anything else, so everybody's like yeah it's so cool, your dad's an astronaut he's going to space for a year. And for me, I'm like, yeah. He's my dad. [ LAUGH ] You know? He's my dorky dad. The one who gets mad at me if I don't do my home work, or if I don't come home on time. [ LAUGH ] He's still my dad, no matter what his job is. And And he's a great one at that. 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