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News imageWitness History, Witness History, The handshake in Space

Witness History

Witness History

The handshake in Space


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7 April 2022

9 minutes

Available for over a year

In 1975, Russian cosmonauts and American astronauts met up in space and shook hands. Millions watched on TV as the two spacecraft docked together and the door between the ships opened. The handshake between the two Cold War superpowers was hailed as a symbol of efforts towards peace and stability. Nick Holland tells the story with the help of former NASA chief historian, Bill Barry.

(Photo The Handshake in Space. Credit: AFP/Getty Images)

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