50 years ago, the U.S. and U.S.S.R. joined forces to ensure astronauts could survive in space

It is a paradox that the United States’ most critical partner in early space science was also its enemy — the U.S.S.R. Yet 50 years ago on May 24, 1972, the two nations signed a landmark agreement: The Agreement Concerning Cooperation in the Exploration and Use of Outer Space for Peaceful Purposes.