Transcript for This day in history: March 14, 1995

A couple of stories in the news tonight which take us into the past as well as the future. It has been more than thirty years now since the Soviet Union shock the world. By beating the US into space with the launch of a tiny satellite called sputnik. The space race with the Soviet Union went on for years but today from the very same facility where sputnik was launched a Russian space (%expletive) went into orbit. With an American on board ABC's Ned potter an old enemies. New friends. All the way it was the kind of morning on which cold wars become old history three men and a Russian capsule Monday near canady. And norm to widen and I have watched apparently Norman thagard to date became the first American astronaut ever launched by the Russians. NASA says it's the start of a beautiful friendship. Different writers different program. Or or OS on the and I really wanted confidence. This flight is plenty different than some of it sounds funny for instance when cosmonauts meet they traditionally kiss. In June when he US shuttle comes to get thagard and want to American commander has been told to bringing flowers. Other problems have been exasperated. Thagard was gonna spend three months doing medical experiments. But his equipment was held up in the Byzantine world of Russian customs. Mission control Houston the experts say this to programs have to mission orbit though or they'll be brought back to earth by budget cutters in both countries. The Russians are so cash starved that they're selling the American space on the air space vehicles price tag 400 million dollars. The Russians have vast experience in long duration flights the Americans need that if the International Space Station in the plan can work. This is the last shot at a space station as the the last shot for that matter manned space flight do with the Russians or close down. Under those terms I think people over enthusiastic about to hit with their actions. Capital. On Thursday thagard and his comrades are scheduled to board the Mir space station. For the next three months it will be up to them to keep the space city July. Ned potter ABC news.

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