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The first Salon International de l'Aéronautique et de l'Espace (Paris Air Show) was held from September 25-October 17, 1909 at the Grand Palais. There were 380 exhibitors and contemporary published reports indicate that more than 100,000 persons passed through the gates in the first four days alone. Since then, the Salon International de l'Aéronautique et de l'Espace has grown and retained its place as one of the major events of the aerospace world. The 1975 Salon International de l'Aéronautique et de l'Espace was held from May 30 to June 8 at Le Bourget Aeroport. Spacecraft development was more heavily emphasized and there were both United States and Soviet created manned space laboratories on display, as well as displays related to the planned Apollo/Soyuz orbital linkup.

Gas Dynamics Laboratory (GDL), founded in 1921, was the first Russian national research and development organization dedicated to the study of space technology. In 1973, a museum opened in Leningrad to commemorate the institution's history and displayed items such as documents, pictures, and full scale model rockets.