Soyuz 16

Soyuz 16 was a test flight in the project to achieve a joint Soviet-US space flight that resulted in the Apollo-Soyuz mission.

Cosmonauts Anatoli Filipchenko and Nikolai Rukavishnikov evaluated a modified Soyuz capsule and the docking equipment that would allow the dissimilar spacecraft to link up. Meanwhile, the flight gave the US and Soviet ground crews experience in working together, and satisfied US officials of the safety of the Soyuz craft.

The mission went exactly to plan, with both administrations happy with the performance of the spacecraft and ground crews.

Crew

• Anatoli Filipchenko
• Nikolai Rukavishnikov