The Apollo-Soyuz Test Project was the first joint flight of the US and Soviet space programs. Its primary purpose was symbolic, to show that the two superpowers were easing the tensions of their Space Race. The two mission commanders exchanged the first international handshake in space through the open hatch of the Soyuz. Though American Deke Slayton had been selected for the Mercury mission in the 1950s, the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project was his first flight into space. Why did he have to wait? Discuss (http://forum.thefreedictionary.com/postst37555_Apollo-Soyuz-Test-Project--First-Docking-of-Russian-and-US-Spacecrafts--1975-.aspx)
Free Dictionary Encyclopedia