Seeds, Apollo-Soyuz Test Project

This seed box is a replica of the one given to the Soviet cosmonauts during the Apollo Soyuz Test Project (ASTP) mission in July 1975. After launch from their respective countries, an American Apollo and Soviet Soyuz spacecraft docked in orbit. This mission was the culmination of the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project that had joined the Cold War opponents in cooperation. This mission was the first international human spaceflight mission. After years or negotiations and testing, three Apollo astronauts from the United States and two Soviet cosmonauts performed joint experiments while their spacecraft were docked in orbit. Among their missions were experiments on the effects of micro-gravity on life. The U.S. Forest Service of the Department of Agriculture designed and built a box similar to this one containing American Spruce Hybrid seeds as part of a gift package for the cosmonauts. Upon their return, the cosmonauts planted the seeds in the USSR.

The USDA Forest Service prepared this duplicate box, which also contains seeds, and transferred it to the Museum in 1975.

This seed box is a replica of the one given to the Soviet cosmonauts during the Apollo Soyuz Test Project (ASTP) mission in July 1975. After launch from their respective countries, an American Apollo and Soviet Soyuz spacecraft docked in orbit. This mission was the culmination of the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project that had joined the Cold War opponents in cooperation. This mission was the first international human spaceflight mission. After years or negotiations and testing, three Apollo astronauts from the United States and two Soviet cosmonauts performed joint experiments while their spacecraft were docked in orbit. Among their missions were experiments on the effects of micro-gravity on life. The U.S. Forest Service of the Department of Agriculture designed and built a box similar to this one containing American Spruce Hybrid seeds as part of a gift package for the cosmonauts. Upon their return, the cosmonauts planted the seeds in the USSR.

The USDA Forest Service prepared a duplicate box that also contains seeds and transferred it to the Museum in 1975.