Frenchman to join Soviets on spaceflight in 1982

A French Air Force fighter pilot will make a joint spaceflight with a Soviet cosmonaut in 1982, the first Westerner to do so. Two pilots, Wing Comdr. Jean-Loup Chretien and Squadron Leader Patrick Baudry, were selected from among 430 volunteers, Hubert Curien, the French space center director, said. One pilot will act as standin, with the final choice to be made during training. The pair will leave for Moscow Sept. 1 for training.

In the past a Czechoslovak, a Pole, an East German, a Bulgarian, and most recently a Hungarian have taken part in Soyuz missions with a Soviet crewmate. The only previous example of East-West cooperation in manned spaceflight was in 1975, when a US Apollo craft linked up with a Soyuz.