The Dudley Castle spaceships from 1975 that landed amid a poignant Cold War link between America and Russia
It was supposed to mark a thaw in relations, at the height of the Cold War.
The American Apollo spacecraft and the Soviet Soyuz space capsule docked side by side in Earth's orbit. The two craft locked together, the hatches popped open, and American astronaut Tom Stafford shook hands with Russian cosmonaut Alexi Leonov, in the moment that would be known as the 'handshake in space'. Over the next two days, the crews of the respective spacecraft dined together and took part in joint scientific experiments.
That was 50 years ago this July, at 7.50pm on July 17, 1975 to be precise. It was days before the sixth anniversary of the first moon landing, and more pertinently, just 13 years since the two nations had stood on the brink of nuclear war.
Millions watched the spectacle on live television, looking on in awe of the scientific triumph, and living in hope that it marked the end of tensions between the world's two major superpowers.
What seems to be less commonly known is how the event was marked in Dudley.
To accompany its extensive television coverage of the Apollos-Soyuz Test Project, the BBC had created an incredibly detailed replica of the two spacecraft linked together. Painstakingly built from wood and expanded polystyrene, the 40ft model cost a four-figure sum to build - a lot of money in 1975 - and for the viewers at home, it was indistinguishable from the real thing, aside from the cutaways which allowed them to see inside.
And what became of this expensively assembled mock-up once the cameras stopped rolling? It ended up in the courtyard of Dudley Castle.
The precise details appear to have been lost in the mists of time, but immediately after it had served its purpose on TV, the model was purchased by Scotia Investments, a leisure company which then owned Dudley Zoo. And for the rest of the summer it went on display in the courtyard of Dudley Castle, a brief news report appearing in the Express & Star on July 31 - just a week after the end of the mission - before being dismantled sometime around the autumn.
The following year, the Express & Star reported how two eight-year-old boys discovered the bruised and battered spacecraft hidden away in a remote corner of the zoo grounds. Jason Lowe and Simon Edginton chanced on the model during a school trip from Joseph Edward Cox junior school in Wednesbury.
"What a wreck!! was Jason's verdict, as he surveyed the broken windows, lopsided doors and gap where a wall had been.
Zoo director Mike told the Express & Star he was surprised by how badly it had deteriorated.
"It must have been the millions of miles it has travelled," he quipped, adding that it would be repaired and installed in the picnic area for the summer.
"The BBC is also loaning us Doctor Who's vintage car, which will be driven around the grounds by one of his monster enemies," he added.
What happened to it after that is unknown. In 1977 the zoo hit financial difficulties and was bought out by Dudley Council, which set up a charity to run the zoo.
The pictures featured here are supplied by aerospace historian Ian Moule, who was 14 years old when he watched the 'handshake in space' in 1975. They caught his eye when he spotted them on eBay in 2021, and they led Ian on a detective trail to find the story behind them.
Dudley Zoo also appears to have no record of the exhibit either. But Ian's inquiries have identified the taller man in the pictures as Terry Sampson, who was at the time manager of BBC Exhibitions. He is curious to find who the other man in the picture was, and how people remembered the exhibit.
"It seems incredible that an item that cost 'a substantial four-figure sum' was disposed of so quickly," says Ian.
"After it was dismantled, did anybody take parts of it home as souvenirs?"
The spirit of cooperation did lead to a period of detente between the two superpowers. Technology, processes, and relationships developed for the Apollos-Soyuz Test Project contributed to the success of future programs such as Shuttle-Mir and the International Space Station.
*Do you remember the spacecraft replica at Dudley Castle in 1975? We would love to hear your stories. Please telephone Mark Andrews on 01952 421535 or email mark.andrews@mnamedia.co.uk
