Dragon Models 1/72 Apollo 18 and Soyuz 19, ASTP (Apollo-Soyuz Test Project)
The Cold War was marked by intense rivalry between the USA and the USSR. However, there was one noticeable abnormality in the usually tense relations between the two superpowers, and that was a joint space mission conducted in July 1975. Known as the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project (ASTP), it was the very first joint space flight between the competitors. The mission, which entailed an Apollo spacecraft docking with a Soyuz craft, allowed the crew commanders to shake hands in space on 17 July 1975. Crews were able to perform joint experiments and share gifts while they were linked in orbit for a period of 44 hours. The docking required a specially designed docking module known as APAS-75. Interestingly, the ASTP was the final Apollo mission, and although it didn’t have an official number, it’s often referred to as Apollo 18. Although the ASTP was primarily symbolic, one of the practical benefits was the engineering experience gained for future Shuttle/Mir and International Space Station programs. This historic moment in space is the subject of a new 1/72 scale model in Dragon’s Space Collection. The fully finished model is highly detailed, and it shows the two spacecraft docked as they orbit the Earth. In fact, the miniature is made even more special by the fact that this is the first Soyuz craft in Dragon’s range. Its appearance, as well as that of new-tooled Apollo 18, is accurately depicted. Commemorate this historic détente in space with this 1/72 scale Apollo-Soyuz double act.