Mission Marooned

When an Apollo spacecraft links up with a Soviet Soyuz above the earth this summer, Writer Martin Caidin, author of nearly 90 science and adventure stories, will have a greater feeling of involvement than most Americans. Caidin learned recently that the movie version of his popular 1964 space novel

Marooned, which describes how American astronauts stranded in orbit are saved by a Russian spaceship, helped persuade the Soviets to take part in the historic joint mission.

In the spring of 1970 the new movie Marooned was shown at a benefit in Washington. Among those in the audience was Philip Handler, president of the National Academy of Sciences. Handler was so impressed by the film that on a later trip to Moscow he glowingly described it to his counterparts in the Soviet Academy of Sciences. Recalls Handler: "That an American film should portray a Soviet cosmonaut as the hero who saves American lives came to the Russians as a distinct shock."

Risky Walk. Using the film as his opening, Handler went on to make a strong plea for cooperation in space. He explained how much easier rescues would be if the two space powers developed a common docking mechanism. In Marooned, the cosmonaut had to leave his ship and take a risky "space walk" before he could deliver oxygen to the Americans. The point was not lost on the Russians, who then were having trouble with their Soyuz spacecraft. They promised Handler they would recommend the idea to their political leaders.

Less than two months later, the Russians told Handler that they were willing not only to expand scientific contacts but to begin discussing the design of a common docking mechanism. Shortly thereafter, the two countries initiated formal negotiations for a joint mission. Comments Caidin: "It's damn nice to know that a writer can sometimes influence the course of history."

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