APOLLO-SOYUZ CYCLOGRAM FROM GENERAL KERIM A. KERIMOV.

APOLLO-SOYUZ CYCLOGRAM FROM GENERAL KERIM A. KERIMOV.
USED BY THE GENERAL TO FOLLOW THE ENTIRE MISSION.
Original manuscript consisting of 7 tri-fold charts in string-bound wrappers, 6 1/2 x 5 1/2 inches with each chart unfolding to 6 x 16 inches, pen and crayon with charts on graph paper and wrappers on thicker stock, signed by Kerimov, July 11, 1975, in Russian. * With Manuscript Signed ("K. Kerimov") 3 pages, recto only, 11 3/4 x 8 1/4 inches, September 16, 1994, in Russian, being an explanation of the cyclogram.
Provenance: From the collection of General Kerim A. Kerimov, sold by him: Sotheby's March 16, 1996. Kerimov was one of the key scientists and founders of the Soviet space program, from the launch of Sputnik-1 through to Mir.

This elaborate cyclogram was, according to Kerimov, ["prepared for the Chairman of the Soyuz-Apollo State Commission (i.e. Kerimov himself) so that he would avoid pestering flight directors with questions during the flight."] Kerimov also describes a Soyuz malfunction that was unknown at the time: ["... a malfunction 20 minutes before launch ... in the camera which would permit TV transmission during the docking. To correct it ... the flight would have been delayed. I quickly gathered members of ... the Committee. The decision was made to go ahead with the launch ... and the crew would have to correct the malfunction in flight."] The repair is indicated in pencil of the second chart between the 19th and 24th orbits. ["The crew made the repair successfully."]
Kerimov further describes the cyclogram in detail including red-colored boxes in the Flight Dynamics line which refer to the "burn" of the rocket engines. An amazing overview of the mission from a central figure in the Soviet space program.