American and Soviet crews were launched today in 1975 for the first handshakes in space between the two superpowers as part of the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project. The Soviet Soyuz with cosmonauts Aleksey Leonov and Valeriy Kubasov was launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome about seven hours before the American Apollo-Saturn 1B with Tom Stafford, Vance Brand and Deke Slayton lifted off from Kennedy Space Center.
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Mission Reports
Soyuz brings Whitson home after record-setting mission
Wrapping up a record-setting flight, Peggy Whitson, America’s most experienced astronaut with nearly two years of time in orbit across three missions, returned to Earth Saturday after a 288-day stay aboard the International Space Station, landing on the steppe of Kazakhstan with Soyuz MS-04 commander Fyodor Yurchikhin and flight engineer Jack Fischer.

Mission Reports
Video: Expedition 50 landing

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