Agreement Concerning Cooperation in the Exploration and Use of Outer Space for Peaceful Purposes

Background and history

American preliminary efforts were shrouded in secrecy, treated as semi-clandestine, while the Soviets had no such reservations; NASA officials learned of an upcoming meeting from the New York Times. According to The Partnership: A History of the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project, the USSR shared its drafts only a week before the Summit, causing frantic US State Department work until the middle of the night.

Key points

The Agreement enumerates areas of cooperation including exploration, space meteorology, environmental sciences, celestial bodies, and space medicine. It describes means such as delegations and meetings of scientists and specialists.

It outlines goals for developing compatible rendezvous and docking systems to enhance manned flight safety and enable joint experiments. A tentative date and method are given for docking an Apollo-type and a Soyuz-type spacecraft with crew visits. The Soviets sought clauses on communication satellites, but the US State Department could not agree as the government did not control that industry.