Nick, that was in 1967, not the 1970s. And how can you support a film that used stock Gemini-Titan launch footage that was supposed to be a Soviet manned space launch?! They even had palm trees in the view, for cryin' out loud!

And the real irony: The US manned craft, which were clearly Geminis, were called Jupiters, while the Soviet manned craft was called... Gemini!

And did it not get you how Blofeld gave Bond not only a tour of the evil SPECTRE facility, but showed him where the BIG RED ABORT BUTTON was for blowing up the entire complex! As I recall, it sat right on one of the control panels for anyone to easily access. I don't think there was even a cover or access key for it to boot.

But as a kid, I naturally thought it was so cool how the SPECTRE craft grabbed ships out of orbit, especially when the cut the EVA line on that one poor astronaut - not something that I advocate, of course.

Of course, one could also ask why did the US and USSR have to keep launching manned missions when it was clear they were all in danger and the two sides threatened nuclear war?

God I miss the Cold War.