The prominent experiment in space accommodated jointly on the Soviet space vehicle Soyuz-19 and the American space vehicle Apollo had the entire world agog. The first-ever docking of two space vehicles belonging to two different nations has been implemented. New docking equipment has been tested for purpose of handling safety of manned space flights. Astrophysical, life sciences, technological, and geophysical experiments have been performed. The mission of the USSR and the US space vehicles was of historic significance in developing the Soviet-American technical cooperation. Its successful implementation revolutionized new aspects of cooperation in space exploration for peaceful purposes between different nations.

L.I. Brezhnev, N.V. Podgorny, A.N. Kosygin
July 1975

This mission is the next thrilling page inserted in the manned space exploration history. It has evidenced that cooperation in space including efforts and contributions of more than one country is not only feasible, but also desirable. I am sure that the example of the Apollo and Soyuz crews will be joined by the others and, as a result, more will be paid in scientific knowledge and better international understanding. I am certain that the Soyuz-Apollo mission has created only a pathway to the ongoing American-Russian cooperation in manned space exploration.

J.R. Ford
July 1975

25 years, a quarter of century, gone since that memorable event - the joint manned mission of Soyuz and Apollo space vehicles that was the first International Space Project in the area of manned missions. Hundreds of thousands of specialists from the USSR and the United States of America pooled their efforts to implement this complex research project. Now, at the turn of centuries, it is becoming more and more evident that prospects of international cooperation in space offered from the ASTP orbit altitude were not a mirage. That the Russian Space Stations and the American space vehicles have been visited by dozens of International crews is testimony to these outlooks. It is symbolical that the docking unit concept verified in the process of the Soyuz-Apollo Project implementation will serve to attach modules and vehicles to the International Space Station presently being the most tremendous International Project in the area of new technologies. We congratulate all who contributed to the ASTP Project on the anniversary and hope for the international cooperation of scientists and experts from different countries to broaden and strengthen and national intellectual and economical potential to be employed for solving the Earth's civilization problem - stable development for the benefit and prosperity of mankind.

V.N. Kubasov, A.A. Leonov
July 2000