“Space Days” (1974) is a Soviet color documentary-style film about the Soviet Space Program (1955-1991) and “space diplomacy.” It highlights the USSR’s advancements since the Sputnik-1 launch (1957), focusing on the Salyut program (1971-1986) and the Soyuz missions. The film also covers international collaborations with the US and France after the 1972 Agreement Concerning Cooperation in the Exploration and Use of Outer Space for Peaceful Purposes signed in Moscow, which established a legal framework for the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project (ASTP).

Film opens (0:11). Silhouettes of antennas, radars in field; Yevpatoria RT-70 radio telescope, Crimean NIP-16 ground station (0:15). Shot of rocket launching (1:56). Credits (2:31). Room of engineers sketching rocket, satellite designs (3:22). Factory production line, assembly of radars, rockets (3:31). Technicians working on space station Salyut (world’s first space station put into orbit Spring 1971); Insertion of solar panels, check functionality of antennas (4:36). Design components of Salyut (entrance hatch, porthole windows, working station and control panels, exploratory equipment like telescope, cameras) (6:13). Living compartments, health and safety: Fan ventilation system with accompanying animation; Fire extinguishers; Gas mask; Wardrobe and vacuum cleaner; Bathroom; On-board refrigerators and provisions (7:35). Launch of Salyut into space; Segment begins on cosmonauts Aleksei S. Yeliseyev, Vladimir A. Shatalov, and Nikolai N. Rukavishnikov and their life on board as part of Soyuz-10 Mission (10:01). Training dormitory where the three stayed prior to launch (10:14). Further testing of space vessels and spaceships; What appears to be intense testing of Soyuz-11 spaceship (12:16). Testing of emergency rescue system: Parachute system (12:58). Water emergency landing training with Alexei Leonov, Valery Kubasov (13:38). Land emergency landing training: Men set off flares in wooded area, Mil Mi-8 helicopter retrieves stranded cosmonauts (15:18). Testing design of spacesuits: Early prototypes for perhaps Sokol Space Suit-K; Tests in thermal pressure chamber (16:12). Vasily Lazarev, Oleg Makarov two-day Soyuz-12 test flight (17:59). Soyuz-12 launch (September 1973); Retrieval of Soyuz-12 following earth landing with Mil Mi-6A helicopter (19:11). View of earth from Soyuz-12 in orbit (20:38). Further development, navigation and orientation devices; Nikolai Rukavishnikov, Alexei Leonov, Valery Kubasov assist with testing (23:08). Preparations for Soyuz-13 launch: Completion of spacecraft components, pre-flight training for Pyotr Klimuk, Vitaly Sevastyanov (24:56). Press conference ahead; Head of cosmonaut training Vladimir Shatalov, engineer Valentin Lebedev (25:36). Preparation and launch of Soyuz-13 (December 1973), crew in orbit for 8.5 day trip (26:31). Testing effects of weightlessness in space on body; Vitaly Sevastyanov uses “Levka apparatus” to test blood circulation in brain (31:15). Soviet spectroscopy program, development spectrograph for studying stars (33:40). Special Astrophysical Observatory (SAO-RAS) BTA-6 and RATAN-600 optical and radio telescopes (34:48). Retrieval of Soyuz-13 following earth landing in snowy steppe of Kazakhstan (35:59). Vasily Lazarev, Oleg Makarov help test and improve systems of future orbital stations (37:47). Alexei Leonov, Valery Kubasov prepare for Apollo-Soyuz Test Project (ASTP) Apollo-Soyuz Docking (July 1975); Assist with development of technical innovations, i.e. chamber to remove debris and waste from spacecraft, testing new spacesuits (38:13). Alexei Leonov, Kubasov visit NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Texas (July 1973) as part of ASTP; Meeting with Buzz Aldrin and tour of Salyut space station prototype (40:52). Russia’s “Space” Diplomacy: Interkosmos program, visit of French scientists and specialists (43:44). Experimental earth station for development of elements to make cosmonauts comfortable during mission i.e. testing interior design, prototypes for one-room living areas, showers, music players, exercise machines (44:28). Medical exams(47:50). Experimentation for production of food in space; Agronomist, gardener observe growth of vegetables in controlled greenhouse (48:24). Cosmonaut practices how to fix mechanical equipment, carry out repairs in space (50:05). Emergency fire drill (51:05). Closing credits (53:43). Film ends (53:48).

This film is part of the Periscope Film LLC archive, one of the largest historic military, transportation, and aviation stock footage collections in the USA. Entirely film backed, this material is available for licensing in 24p HD, 2k and 4k. For more information visit http://www.PeriscopeFilm.com