What does ASTP mean in UNCLASSIFIED

The Apollo Soyuz Test Project (ASTP) was a joint venture conducted between the US and Soviet Union in 1975, aimed at promoting international cooperation by combining the Apollo and Soyuz spacecrafts.

The goal of ASTP was to promote international cooperation by combining the Apollo and Soyuz spacecrafts for the first time ever. In doing so, both nations were able to demonstrate their commitment to peaceful space exploration.

During ASTP, two crews from each nation launched separately into orbit on July 15th and 16th, 1975. Over two days they completed a series of dockings followed by four hours of cooperative activities inside their respective airlocks before undocking. On July 19th they safely returned to Earth with successful completion of all goals set out for ASTP.

By demonstrating that different countries could effectively cooperate on a mission together, ASTP had major implications for future space exploration efforts being made today. International agreements such as those established during this mission have been essential in enabling more recent collaborations such as the International Space Station (ISS).

People from around world responded positively to ASTP; it is generally considered one of NASA's greatest successes in terms of international relations and diplomacy. The astronauts involved in carrying out this mission were lauded for their tremendous courage in setting off on such an ambitious mission despite adversity between their respective nations at the time.