Apollo-Soyuz Mission 1975 (minifig scale)

Apollo-Soyuz Mission (1975)

Introduction

2015 marks the 40th anniversary of this mission and thus also 40 years of international cooperation in space. This is a perfect moment to remember five men, two spacecrafts, from two nations, that worked together in the vastness of space, for the first time in history.

Background

The Apollo-Soyuz mission, also called Apollo-Soyuz Test Project (ASTP), was the first joint flight between United States and the Soviet Union. As a cooperation mission was a symbol of the improved international relations between the two superpowers. In July, 1975, the spacecraft took off separately and the American and Soviet space teams met in orbit to test an international docking system and joint flight procedures. The astronauts (Stafford, Brand and Slayton) and cosmonauts (Leonov and Kubasov) were able to move from one ship to the other and shook hands as a symbol of friendship and cooperation. The mission also allowed to conduct scientific experiments that included the artificial eclipse of the Sun by the Apollo spacecraft to photograph the solar corona from the Soyuz.

The mission provided useful engineering experience for future joint US-Russian space flights, such the Shuttle-Mir and the International Space Station.

The mission was a great success, both technically and international relations, and is a symbol of international cooperation and the peaceful exploration of space.

Lego Project

I present you a minifig scale model of the Apollo-Soyuz Mission. 
Apollo CSM spacecraft with docking module (993 pcs). Command module can be separated from service module and the docking module. The command module has a hatch and fits 3 astronauts seat in the cabin.
Soyuz 19 spacecraft, variant 7K-T (946 pcs). The 3 modules (orbit, descent and service) can be separated. The orbit module can be opened and fits 2 minifigs of cosmonauts.
Stand (119 pcs)
There are 5 minifigs: 3 astronauts and 2 cosmonauts, with custom spacesuits.
Total brick count: 2058 pcs

I hope you enjoy this project, if you like it, please support Apollo-Soyuz mission.

Best regards

Luis

Other related projects

If you like the Apollo-Soyuz (minifig scale), be sure to visit my others Lego Space Exploration Projects in Lego Ideas:

Sputnik 1957, the first artificial satellite. https://ideas.lego.com/projects/81706

Soyuz Spacecraft, a minifig scale model of the Soyuz 7K-OK (1967 variant), https://ideas.lego.com/projects/88562

Saturn V and Launch Facilities, https://ideas.lego.com/projects/88991

Apollo 11, an accurate reproduction of the CSM Apollo and lunar module Eagle.https://ideas.lego.com/projects/84718

Apollo 11 Rescue Mission. A set about the rescue ofthe astronauts and recovery of the Apollo 11 command module in the Pacific Ocean. https://ideas.lego.com/projects/86997

Apollo Soyuz Mission 1975 (microscale). The first joint US-Russia mission. https://ideas.lego.com/projects/81989

Voyager Mission 1979-2014. https://ideas.lego.com/projects/82995

Orion Exploration Flight Test 2014, https://ideas.lego.com/projects/87437

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Software used in this project:

Virtual model building:

Lego Digital Designer (LDD), http://ldd.lego.com/en-us/
Pictures rendering:  

LDD2POVRAY, http://ldd2povray.lddtools.com/
POVRAY, http://www.povray.org/
Custom decals design:

Inkscape, https://www.inkscape.org/en/