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    "localId": "7347191",
    "label": "Letter from James Fletcher to President Gerald Ford Regarding Preparations for the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project",
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    "id": "7347191",
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    "contentType": "document",
    "title": "Letter from James Fletcher to President Gerald Ford Regarding Preparations for the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project",
    "description": "This letter includes information on the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project, a joint U.S.-Soviet Union space mission.",
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    "productionDates": [
        {
            "day": 8,
            "logicalDate": "1975-04-08",
            "month": 4,
            "year": 1975
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    "seq": 3,
    "pageIndex": 0,
    "type": "document",
    "url": "https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/91/3471/7347191/content/arcmedia/presidential-libraries/ford/1525267/032500302-001.pdf",
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    "ocrText": "2168\nAND\nSPACE ADMINISTRATION IVNOILYN\nNATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION\nWASHINGTON, D.C. 20546\nU.S.A\nOFFICE OF THE ADMINISTRATOR\nAPR 8 1975\nThe President\nThe White House\nWashington, D.C. 20500\nDear Mr. President:\nOn April 5, 1975, the Soviet Union launched a manned Soyuz spacecraft\nfor continuing experiments with the Salyut 4 space station. Liftoff\nwas successful; however, difficulty with the third stage resulted in\nfailure to attain sufficient speed to achieve orbit. The mission was\naborted and the spacecraft returned safely to earth within the Soviet\nUnion.\nThis failure raises the question of Soviet readiness for our joint\nApollo-Soyuz rendezvous mission. While there have been difficulties\nin some of the previous seventeen Soyuz missions, there has not been\na failure to achieve orbit. Our past discussions with the Soviets and\nour examination of their technical fixes for earlier difficulties, which\nmight be related to our joint mission, have given us assurance that the\nearlier difficulties have been resolved.\nIn the regularly scheduled telephone conference today between Professor\nKonstantin D. Bushuyev of the USSR and Dr. Glynn S. Lunney of the U.S.,\nTechnical Directors for the Apollo-Soyuz mission, Dr. Bushuyev stated\nthat the launch vehicle which failed was an earlier version of the booster\nused in the Soviet program. Although his analysis is not complete,\nProfessor Bushuyev stated that there were no suspicions in any system\ncommon to the old and new versions of the booster. He further indicated\nthat the newer version has been used successfully in previous flights.\nHe positively assured us that the failure would not affect our joint\nprogram or the July 15 launch date. He has promised to provide further\ndetails when his analysis is complete.\nWe, of course, are giving paramount consideration to the safety of our\nastronauts. The launch failure, should it recur, poses no concern for\nthe safety of our astronauts because it happened before what would be\nthe joint phase of the mission. In view of the earlier seventeen success-\nful launches, there should be high confidence in the launch phase of the\nmission. As a precaution, however, the Soviets plan a complete backup\nspacecraft and crew, giving virtual assurance of successful launch.\nFORD\n&\nGERALD\nLIBRARY\n- 2 -\nJoint preparations for the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project are proceeding\nwell. These preparations have been marked by a spirit of full co-\noperation. Exchange visits by the American and Soviet astronauts and\ntechnical teams have led to a feeling of mutual respect and confidence.\nAll hardware is in process of final assembly and checkout at the respec-\ntive launch sites. Flight and ground crews are continuing their training.\nTechnical and operational documentation has been completed. Full mission\nsimulations including flight and ground crews of both nations have been\nconducted, and will continue. A joint Flight Readiness Review is scheduled\nnext month and will be attended by our Deputy Administrator, Dr. George M.\nLow. A final countdown demonstration will be made in early July, with\nthe joint mission scheduled to begin July 15, 1975.\nThe Soviets have demonstrated every intent to make the mission a success,\nwith an attitude of full cooperation and willingness to adjust to U.S.\nrequirements. They have been forthcoming at both the official and un-\nofficial level on all matters pertaining to the project. The resources\nthey are committing to this mission, in terms of money, manpower, and\nfacilities, as well as the many instances of relaxation of previously\nexhibited rigidities, indicate the importance the Soviet Union is placing\non the mission.\nWhile the launch failure is, indeed, unfortunate, it does not pose a\nsafety problem for our astronauts. Preparations for the joint mission\nare well in hand and, while by their very nature there are some risks\nin space missions, we have every expectation of a successful Apollo-\nSoyuz flight in mid-July.\nRespectfully,\nJames C. Fletcher\nAdministrator\nFORD\n&\nGERALD\nLIBRARY"
}