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    Soyuz T-15
    Soyuz T-15
    MIR EO-1

    Leonid Kizim
    Vladimir Solovyov
    Show More

    Soyuz T-15 was the first expedition to MIR station and the last to Salyut-7, closing Salyut era. Leonid Kizim and Vladimir Solovyev took around 100 various covers and postmarked them with both stations pentagon postmarks in blue and black inks. The covers were signed mostly back on Earth and some received additional inscriptions. These covers are quite common in the “space mail” inventory and there is an opinion that many of them were postmarked after the landing, thus making it impossible to distinguish between the really flown and not.

    Soyuz TM-2 – the story of the first official space souvenir cover.

    American stamp dealer Kurt Weishaupt agreed with USSR Space agency – GLAVKOSMOS, to produce souvenir covers and postmark them in space. 1038 covers were prepared, postmarked in Moscow and delivered on Progress-33 cargo ship to MIR station along with new MIR souvenir octagon shaped stamp (that became the philately logo of MIR). All the covers were stamped by blue-ink octagon, signed by the crew and returned to Earth on Soyuz TM-3. There the covers were postmarked in Araklyk, numbered and signed by Dunaev – head of GLAVKOSMOS. 1000 of the covers were sold by Mezhkniga to Kurt Weishaupt, who in his turn distributed them between well-known dealers. The covers were sold for quite high price (and still available for $500-$700 on ebay.com). Interestingly, the original batch of covers was to mention Laveykin as MIR crew member, but before they were dispatched to Baikonur, Laveykin was grounded due to health issues and replaced by Aleksandrov to return to Earth. Almost all printed covers were destroyed and the new ones, with Aleksandrov in place were delivered.

    ​

    from Russian Astrophilately forum

    STS-81
    STS-81
    roll-out Dec 11, 1996
    STS-81
    STS-81
    KSC postmark - Jan 12, 1997
    STS-81
    STS-81
    launch - Downey, CA
    STS-81
    STS-81
    tracking - launch
    STS-81
    STS-81
    launch - Houston, TX
    STS-81
    STS-81
    launch - Satellite Beach, FL
    STS-81
    STS-81
    Vandenberg AFB
    STS-81
    STS-81
    launch - KSC
    STS-81
    STS-81
    docking
    STS-81
    STS-81
    KSC postmark - Jan 14, 1997
    STS-81
    STS-81
    NASA - Roskosmos cover
    STS-81
    STS-81
    tracking - docking
    STS-81
    STS-81
    Colorano Silk cachet
    STS-81
    STS-81
    Colorano Silk cachet
    STS-81
    STS-81
    Colorano Silk cachet
    STS-81 Colorano
    STS-81 Colorano
    Colorano Silk cachet
    STS-81
    STS-81
    Colorano Silk cachet
    STS-81
    STS-81
    Colorano Silk cachet
    STS-81
    STS-81
    Colorano Silk cachet
    STS-81
    STS-81
    Colorano Silk cachet
    STS-81
    STS-81
    tracking - undocking
    STS-81
    STS-81
    tracking - landing
    STS-81
    STS-81
    landing site - KSC
    STS-81
    STS-81
    Vandenberg AFB
    STS-81
    STS-81
    Patrick AFB
    STS-81
    STS-81
    Canberra, Australia
    Show More
    Soyuz TM-3
    Soyuz TM-3
    MIR EP-1
    Soyuz TM-3
    Soyuz TM-3
    MIR EP-1 + EO-2
    Soyuz TM-3
    Soyuz TM-3
    Baikonur Kniga postmark
    Soyuz TM-3
    Soyuz TM-3
    Syrian cover
    HEXE experiment
    HEXE experiment
    HEXE experiment
    HEXE experiment
    Soyuz TM-5
    Soyuz TM-5
    MIR EP-2

    Anatoly Solovyev
    Viktor Savinykh
    Aleksandr Aleksandrov (Bulgaria)
    Soyuz TM-5
    Soyuz TM-5
    Baikonur
    Soyuz TM-5
    Soyuz TM-5
    MIR EP-1
    Soyuz TM-5
    Soyuz TM-5
    Bulgarian cover
    Soyuz TM-6
    Soyuz TM-6
    MIR EP-3

    Valeri Polyakov
    Vladimir Lyakhov
    Abdul Ahad Mohmand (Afghanistan)
    Soyuz TM-6
    Soyuz TM-6
    Soyuz TM-7
    Soyuz TM-7
    Moscow FDC
    Soyuz TM-7
    Soyuz TM-7
    Star City
    Soyuz TM-7
    Soyuz TM-7
    Baikonur
    Soyuz TM-7
    Soyuz TM-7
    Soyuz TM-7
    Soyuz TM-7
    MIR EO-4

    Aleksandr Volkov
    Sergei Krikalev
    Jean-Loup Chrétien (France)
    Soyuz TM-7
    Soyuz TM-7
    MIR EO-4
    Soyuz TM-8
    Soyuz TM-8
    SPK test by A. Serebrov
    Soyuz TM-9
    Soyuz TM-9
    EO-6

    Anatoly Solovyev
    Aleksandr Balandin
    Show More
    Soyuz TM-2
    Soyuz TM-2
    MIR EO-2

    Yuri Romanenko
    Alexandr Laveykin
    Soyuz TM-2
    Soyuz TM-2
    GLAVKOSMOS certificate
    Show More

    MIR SPACE STATION

    A very interesting cover signed by 5! MIR visiting crews with relevant postmarks from MIR "post office":

    ​

    19.08.96 - Soyuz TM-24 docking to MIR

    ​

    19.09.96 - STS-79 docking to MIR

    ​

    15.01.97 - STS-81 docking to MIR

    ​

    12.02.97 - Soyuz TM-25 docking to MIR

    ​

    02.03.97 - Soyuz TM-24 undocking from MIR

    ​

    Note, this cover lists the original crew of Soyuz TM-24 (EO-22) that was replaced, but the signatures are of the flown spacemen aboard MIR

    Show More
    STS-60
    STS-60
    cosmonauts training
    STS-60
    STS-60
    rollover
    STS-60
    STS-60
    rollout
    STS-60
    STS-60
    1st Shuttle-MIR mission
    STS-60
    STS-60
    SRB recovery
    STS-60
    STS-60
    launch
    STS-60
    STS-60
    Sergey Krikalev
    STS-60
    STS-60
    STS-60
    STS-60
    STS-60
    STS-60
    mission summary cove
    STS-60
    STS-60
    GSFC tracking
    STS-60
    STS-60
    Pasadena
    STS-60
    STS-60
    WSMR tracking
    Next Step
    Next Step
    STS-60
    STS-60
    special Houston postmark
    STS-60
    STS-60
    communications with MIR
    STS-60
    STS-60
    Wake Shield Facility -1
    STS-60
    STS-60
    landing
    STS-60
    STS-60
    mission summary cover
    STS-63
    STS-63
    launch - KSC
    STS-63
    STS-63
    launch - KSC
    STS-63
    STS-63
    launch - KSC
    STS-63
    STS-63
    STS-63
    STS-63
    STS-63
    STS-63
    launch - tracking GSFC
    STS-63
    STS-63
    Naval Space Command
    STS-63
    STS-63
    WSMR tracking
    STS-63
    STS-63
    Downey CA
    STS-63
    STS-63
    NASA - JPL
    Show More

    STS-60 was the first operational mission of Shuttle-MIR program that included a cosmonaut in the Space Shuttle crew and live communications with MIR space station. Sergei Krikalev became the first Russian cosmonaut to fly on the U.S. Space Shuttle when he launched with his five NASA crewmates onboard Discovery. Krikalev and his backup, Vladimir Titov, joined the STS-60 mission after the U.S. crew had already been assigned; however, Krikalev was able to take full part in the mission. His roles included manipulating the Shuttle’s payload bay "arm" and operating the Space Acceleration Measurement System experiment, as well as participating in the joint science experiments. Krikalev’s backup Titov would go on to fly on the STS-63 "near Mir" mission. Besides gaining practical experience on an American Space Shuttle, Krikalev helped further diplomatic and public relations in ways that hearkened back to the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project of 1975 and pointed forward to the Shuttle-Mir flights.

    ​

    The presented Apollo-11 25th anniversary cover issued in the same 1994 is quite interesting giving the direction of the “Next Step” towards the space station. Though not directly connected to the Shuttle-MIR program.

    ​

    Quite unusual Houston STS-60 special postmark can be found on the dedicated wide format covers. It looks like a "fantasy" of one of the German dealers. Note missing word STATION. It is not listed in 1994 Postal Bulletins

    Soyuz TM-25
    Soyuz TM-25
    MIR EO-23

    Vasili Tsibliyev
    Aleksandr Lazutkin
    Reinhold Ewald (Germany)
    Soyuz TM-25
    Soyuz TM-25
    MIR EO-23

    Vasili Tsibliyev
    Aleksandr Lazutkin
    Reinhold Ewald (Germany)
    Soyuz TM-25
    Soyuz TM-25
    G&G cachet
    Soyuz TM-25
    Soyuz TM-25
    Kazakhstan club cover
    Soyuz TM-25
    Soyuz TM-25
    Baikonur Field Post 08814
    Soyuz TM-25
    Soyuz TM-25
    DARA cover
    MIR 97
    MIR 97
    Wessling - Korolev
    MIR 97
    MIR 97
    German Space Operations
    MIR 97
    MIR 97
    German Space Agency
    MIR 97
    MIR 97
    Munich pictorial postmark
    MIR 97
    MIR 97
    Wessling pictorial postmark
    MIR 97
    MIR 97
    Wessling pictorial postmark
    Soyuz TM-25
    Soyuz TM-25
    MIR EO-23

    Vasili Tsibliyev
    Aleksandr Lazutkin
    Reinhold Ewald (Germany)
    Soyuz TM-25
    Soyuz TM-25
    Baikonur Field Post 08814
    Chizhov cachet color reverse
    MIR EO-22 and EO-23
    MIR EO-22 and EO-23
    Sergey Chizhov cachet
    MIR-97
    MIR-97
    Energia flown cover
    Soyuz TM-25
    Soyuz TM-25
    MIR EO-23

    Vasili Tsibliyev
    Aleksandr Lazutkin
    Reinhold Ewald (Germany)
    Soyuz TM-24
    Soyuz TM-24
    landing

    crew - Korzun, Kaleri and Ewald
    Soyuz TM-25
    Soyuz TM-25
    20th anniversary - Star City
    Soyuz TM-25
    Soyuz TM-25
    20th anniversary - Star City
    Progress M-34
    Progress M-34
    Progress M-34
    Progress M-34
    Baikonur Field Post 08814
    Progress M-34
    Progress M-34
    Sergey Chizhov cachet
    Progress M-34
    Progress M-34
    Apr 8, 1997 - docking
    Shuttle-MIR 1997
    Shuttle-MIR 1997
    Kazakhstan club cover
    1997 Kazakhstan
    1997 Kazakhstan
    Cosmonautics Day issue
    Progress M-35
    Progress M-35
    Jul 5, 1997
    Show More

    Soyuz TM-21 flight was “the first” in several aspects. It was the first space flight upon Shuttle-MIR program that delivered EO-18. It was the first to have an American astronaut abroad for the longest up to date US space flight (115 days). During EO-18 there was a first ever Shuttle docking to MIR space station. The whole crew returned to Earth aboard STS-71 Atlantis.

     

    Besides the achievements this flight was amid philatelic scandal that involved the German dealers and Russian collectors. Awaiting such significant event as US astronaut aboard Soyuz-MIR and first Shuttle docking, German dealers prepared to deliver “space mail” souvenirs to the market, hoping for a good value. In a couple of weeks after the launch such covers start to appear with six spacemen signatures. Those covers were checked by Russian philatelists along with western experts and proved to be forged. In a couple of months appeared another batch of “flown” covers from Soyuz TM-20/21 that was once again proven to be forged. Then came the covers from the STS-71 landing with Soyuz crew signatures and finally Soyuz TM-22 covers with original signatures but faked Baikonur postmarks. Following the allegations from Russian collectors, German dealers consolidated the position and blamed Russians on the deliberate sabotage and distrust….

    ​

    The story was taken from Sergey Chizhov open letter to Cosmonautics News magazine in Feb, 1997

    STS-63
    STS-63
    Kaliningrad
    STS-63
    STS-63
    German Komlev cachet
    STS-63
    STS-63
    Sergey Chizhov cachet
    STS-63
    STS-63
    MIR EO-18
    MIR EO-18
    Ty-154 MLK training
    Soyuz TM-21
    Soyuz TM-21
    STS-71
    STS-71
    Soyuz TM-21
    Soyuz TM-21
    launch
    Soyuz TM-21
    Soyuz TM-21
    special flight Star City - Baikonur
    Soyuz TM-21
    Soyuz TM-21
    MIR EO-18
    Soyuz TM-21
    Soyuz TM-21
    Kaliningrad mission control center
    Soyuz TM-21
    Soyuz TM-21
    MIR EO-18
    Soyuz TM-21
    Soyuz TM-21
    MIR EO-18
    Sergey Chizhov cachet reverse inspired by Shuttle-MIR
    Soyuz TM-21
    Soyuz TM-21
    STS-71
    STS-71
    KSC serviced cover
    STS-71
    STS-71
    MIR EO-19 / Atlantis


    Anatoly Solovyev and Nikolai Budarin were delivered to MIR on Atlantis Space Shuttle
    STS-71
    STS-71
    1st Shuttle-MIR docking FDC
    STS-71
    STS-71
    serviced FDC
    STS-71
    STS-71
    tracking - launch
    STS-71 - MIR - Soyuz
    STS-71 - MIR - Soyuz
    KSC - Baikonur dual cancellation
    STS-71
    STS-71
    tracking - docking
    STS-71
    STS-71
    Kazakhstan club cover
    STS-71
    STS-71
    Kazakhstan club cover
    STS-71
    STS-71
    Korolev - undocking
    STS-71
    STS-71
    GSFC tracking - undocking
    STS-71
    STS-71
    tracking - landing
    STS-71
    STS-71
    WSMR tracking
    STS-71
    STS-71
    Guam tracking
    STS-71
    STS-71
    Naval Space Command
    Show More
    STS-79 training
    STS-79 training
    Sergey Chizhov cachet
    STS-79
    STS-79
    "pseudo" NASA VIP card
    STS-79
    STS-79
    Sep 18, 1996
    STS-79
    STS-79
    Downey, CA station
    STS-79
    STS-79
    Colorano Silk cachet
    STS-79
    STS-79
    Colorano Silk cachet
    STS-79
    STS-79
    Colorano Silk cachet
    STS-79
    STS-79
    Colorano Silk cachet
    STS-79
    STS-79
    Colorano Silk cachet
    STS-79
    STS-79
    Colorano Silk cachet
    STS-79
    STS-79
    Colorano Silk cachet
    STS-79
    STS-79
    Colorano Silk cachet
    STS-79
    STS-79
    Colorano Silk cachet
    STS-79
    STS-79
    Colorano Silk cachet
    STS-79
    STS-79
    WSMR
    STS-79
    STS-79
    KSC - Merritt Island
    Show More

    Pseudo NASA VIP cards.

    NASA VIP cards were the series of postcards designed and printed by NASA to be given to the guests invited to attend Apollo mission launches. The last VIP card was actually for SL-2 the first manned Skylab flight. There was a special VIP card for STS-95 the return to orbit of John Glenn. Just about all so-called VIP cards produced after NASA's last VIP card issue for SL-2 in May 1973 were privately printed by space cover dealer Carsten Fuchs of Germany. His cards, which include all Shuttle flights from STS-1, are in no way of any "official" status and can be identified by light-blue ink markings and usually on a heavier-card stock. I have a couple of such “pseudo” NASA VIP cards for STS-79 and STS-86 bearing special Shuttle-MIR docking pictorial postmarks.

    ​

    more on NASA VIP cards here

    Soyuz TM-10
    Soyuz TM-10
    EO-6 + EO-7
    Soyuz TM-11
    Soyuz TM-11
    Soyuz TM-11
    Soyuz TM-11
    MIR EO-8

    Viktor Afanasyev
    Musa Manarov
    Toyohiro Akiyama (Japan)
    Soyuz TM-12
    Soyuz TM-12
    Moscow FDOI
    Soyuz TM-12
    Soyuz TM-12
    Star City

    Anatoly Artsebarsky
    Sergei Krikalev
    Helen Sharman (United Kingdom)
    Soyuz TM-12
    Soyuz TM-12
    Baikonur
    Soyuz TM-11
    Soyuz TM-11
    landing crew

    This cover is quite symbolic - pure USSR 1982 FDC postmarked on MIR in 1991 just before the dismissal of the Soviet Union in Dec 91.
    Soyuz TM-13
    Soyuz TM-13
    MIR EO-10

    Aleksandr Volkov
    Toktar Aubakirov
    Franz Viehböck (Austria)
    Soyuz TM-13
    Soyuz TM-13
    Baikonur cachet
    Soyuz TM-13
    Soyuz TM-13
    MIR EO-10
    Soyuz TM-13
    Soyuz TM-13
    MIR EO-10
    Soyuz TM-13
    Soyuz TM-13
    Toktar Aubakirov
    Toktar Aubakirov
    1994
    Toktar Aubakirov
    Toktar Aubakirov
    1994
    Toktar Aubakirov
    Toktar Aubakirov
    5th anniversary of flight
    Soyuz TM-13
    Soyuz TM-13
    10th anniversary
    Soyuz TM-13
    Soyuz TM-13
    10th anniversary
    Toktar Aubakirov
    Toktar Aubakirov
    10th anniversary of flight
    Aleksandr Volkov
    Aleksandr Volkov
    15th anniversary of flight

    Gorlovka city - Alexander Volkov hometown
    Aleksandr Volkov
    Aleksandr Volkov
    Star City
    Soyuz TM-13
    Soyuz TM-13
    15th anniversary
    Show More
    Soyuz TM-14
    Soyuz TM-14
    Moscow FDC
    Soyuz TM-14
    Soyuz TM-14
    flown cover
    Soyuz TM-14
    Soyuz TM-14
    flight emblem cancellation
    Soyuz TM-14
    Soyuz TM-14
    Russia-German philex
    Soyuz TM-14
    Soyuz TM-14
    Munich pictorial postmark
    Soyuz TM-14
    Soyuz TM-14
    MIR-92 Bonn postmark
    Soyuz TM-14
    Soyuz TM-14
    Stuttgart postmark
    Soyuz TM-15
    Soyuz TM-15
    Energia flown souvenir cover
    Soyuz TM-15
    Soyuz TM-15
    Kazakhstan surcharge stamps
    Soyuz TM-15
    Soyuz TM-15
    Soyuz TM-15
    Soyuz TM-15
    Soyuz TM-16
    Soyuz TM-16
    Novoskibirsk club cover
    Soyuz TM-16
    Soyuz TM-16
    MIR EO-13

    Gennadi Manakov
    Aleksandr Poleshchuk
    Soyuz TM-15 / 16
    Soyuz TM-15 / 16
    MIR EO-12 / 13

    signed by Solovyev, Avdeyev, Manakov and Poleshchuk
    Znamya experiment
    Znamya experiment
    Progress M-15
    Show More

    Znamya experiment souvenir card devoted to the 500th anniversary of Columbus discovery of America. The batch of 200 cards was delivered to MIR in Oct 29, 1992 on Progress M-15 cargo ship that served as experiment platform. It was accepted by Solovyev and Avdeyed who were EO-12 and also put their signatures. The experiment was conducted on Feb 4, 1993 by Manakov and Poleshchuk as EO-13, who put MIR postmark and their signatures as well.

    Here is a couple of interesting points regarding Soyuz TM-16 flight:

    ​

    It was the first and only Soyuz equipped with APAS-89 docking system, improved analog of APAS-75 used during Apollo-Soyuz flight. The docking was performed to Kristall module instead of Kvant module. APAS-89 was developed in 1989 for Buran spaceship, but later used for Space Shuttle docking to MIR.

    ​

    According to my observations, this was the first time (or one of the first) that cosmonauts used personal stamps on the flown covers. Two stamps are present – Soyuz TM-16 emblem and Manakov personal stamp with VULCAN call sign.

    Note - Interesting issue with the Soyuz TM-14 Russia-Germany space flight covers. Several such serviced FDCs of the USSR-Austria joint space flight were provided to the Soyuz TM-14 crew. They were cancelled in Baikonur, along with other around 300 mail items, using postmark with the wrong date – 17.03.91 instead of 17.03.92. This was done in purpose to avoid fakes and forgeries. On the reverse of the presented cover there is a perfect stamp of the mission emblem. The signees on the cover are Viktorenko, Kaleri, Krikalev (Soyuz TM-12), Volkov (Soyuz TM-13) and Flade, note his full name signature. Flade landed on Soyuz TM-13 together with Volkov and Krikalev.

    Soyuz TM-17
    Soyuz TM-17
    Kazakhstan postmark with error

    "Ранция" instead of "Франция"
    all the covers were cancelled in Alma-Ata and received Baikonur calendar postmark later
    Soyuz TM-17
    Soyuz TM-17
    MIR EO-13 / 14 /15
    Soyuz TM-17
    Soyuz TM-17
    Serebrov record - 10th EVA
    Soyuz TM-17
    Soyuz TM-17
    MIR EO-14

    Vasili Tsibliyev
    Aleksandr Serebrov
    Jean-Pierre Haigneré (France)
    Soyuz TM-18
    Soyuz TM-18
    Kazakhstan special postmark
    Soyuz TM-18
    Soyuz TM-18
    overprinted stamp
    Soyuz TM-18
    Soyuz TM-18
    MIR EO-15

    Viktor Afanasiyev
    Yuri Usachyov
    Valeri Polyakov
    Soyuz TM-19
    Soyuz TM-19
    MIR EO-16

    Yuri Malenchenko
    Talgat Musabayev
    Soyuz TM-19
    Soyuz TM-19
    Kazakhstan
    Soyuz TM-19
    Soyuz TM-19
    T. Musabaev EVA

    Kazakhstan special postmark
    Soyuz TM-20
    Soyuz TM-20
    MIR EO-17

    Aleksandr Viktorenko
    Yelena Kondakova
    Ulf Merbold (Germany)
    Soyuz TM-20
    Soyuz TM-20
    Star City anniversary FDC

    Viktorenko and Merbold signatures
    EUROMIR 94
    EUROMIR 94
    Soyuz TM-19 landing

    Kazakhstan special postmark
    EUROMIR 94
    EUROMIR 94
    Soyuz TM-19 landing

    Kazakhstan special postmark
    EUROMIR 94
    EUROMIR 94
    Soyuz TM-19 landing

    Kazakhstan special postmark
    EUROMIR 94
    EUROMIR 94
    Soyuz TM-19 landing

    Kazakhstan special postmark
    Show More

    A couple of interesting moments re STS-76 mission:

    ​

    Michael Clifford participated in this mission a year after he was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease. During the flight, he worked for 6 hours in the open space. Everything went well, but he told that it was not given to him so easy.

    ​

    Another notable achievement was made by Atlantis crew member Shannon Lucid who joined EO-21 and EO-22 and stayed abroad MIR for 179 days, returning home abroad STS-79. She spent a total of 188 days in space that was an absolute record for the woman and non-Russian spaceman in general. The woman-space-stay record was beaten 11 years later by ISS crew member.

    Soyuz TM-23
    Soyuz TM-23
    MIR EO-21

    Yuri Onufrienko
    Yury Usachev
    STS-76
    STS-76
    launch - KSC
    STS-76
    STS-76
    launch - official cover
    STS-76
    STS-76
    KSC special postmark
    STS-76
    STS-76
    launch - GSFC tracking
    Soyuz TM-23 / STS-76
    Soyuz TM-23 / STS-76
    docking - Korolev tracking
    STS-76
    STS-76
    docking - GSFC tracking
    STS-76
    STS-76
    GSFC
    STS-76
    STS-76
    KSC special postmark
    Soyuz TM-23 / STS-76
    Soyuz TM-23 / STS-76
    MIR EO-21

    signed by the both crews
    Soyuz TM-23 / STS-76
    Soyuz TM-23 / STS-76
    Korolev tracking
    STS-76
    STS-76
    undocking - GSFC tracking
    STS-76
    STS-76
    landing - GSFC tracking
    STS-76
    STS-76
    landing site - Edwards AFB
    STS-76
    STS-76
    nice mission summary cover
    MIR Priroda module
    MIR Priroda module
    launched Apr 23, 1996

    primary purpose was to conduct Earth resource experiments through remote sensing
    MIR Priroda module
    MIR Priroda module
    MIR Priroda module
    MIR Priroda module
    MIR Priroda module
    MIR Priroda module
    Progress M-32
    Progress M-32
    Soyuz TM-24
    Soyuz TM-24
    MIR EO-22

    Valery Korzun
    Aleksandr Kaleri
    Claudie Haigneré (France)
    Soyuz TM-24
    Soyuz TM-24
    serviced to Paris
    Soyuz TM-24
    Soyuz TM-24
    MIR EO-22

    Valery Korzun
    Aleksandr Kaleri
    Claudie Haigneré (France)
    Soyuz TM-24
    Soyuz TM-24
    Soyuz TM-24
    Soyuz TM-24
    Korolev - docking
    Soyuz TM-24
    Soyuz TM-24
    RKK Energia flown cover

    signed by Soyuz and EO-21 crews
    Soyuz TM-24
    Soyuz TM-24
    unusual flown cover

    It bears the names of the original crew on the emblem - Manakov, Vinogradov and Haigneré.
    Signed by Soyuz and EO-21 crews, missing Shannon Lucid signature
    Soyuz TM-24
    Soyuz TM-24
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    The main controversy of Soyuz TM-24 flight was the “last minute” change of the Russian part of the crew, that occurred only one week before the launch. Gennady Manakov suffered from heart problems and the medical decision was to replace him and Pavel Vinogradov with the back-up crew members – Valery Korzun and Alexandr Kaleri. This switch caused a mess in space collector society and astrophilately in particular as many items bearing the original crew names (like covers and patches) were already prepared and dispatched for the launch. This also caused some increase in prices, as the developed story underlined the rarity of the event.

    Progress M-28
    Progress M-28
    Soyuz TM-21
    Soyuz TM-21
    MIR EO-19

    Solovyev and Budarin landed on Soyuz TM-21
    Soyuz TM-22
    Soyuz TM-22
    Star City training
    Soyuz TM-22
    Soyuz TM-22
    MIR EO-20

    Yuri Gidzenko
    Sergei Avdeyev
    Thomas Reiter (Germany)
    Soyuz TM-22
    Soyuz TM-22
    MIR EO-20
    Soyuz TM-22
    Soyuz TM-22
    Baikonur - Wessling
    Soyuz TM-22
    Soyuz TM-22
    MIR EO-20
    Soyuz TM-22
    Soyuz TM-22
    MIR EO-20

    signed by Soyuz TM-22 crew and EO-19 members - Solovyev and Budarin
    Soyuz TM-22
    Soyuz TM-22
    MIR EO-20

    Yuri Gidzenko
    Sergei Avdeyev
    Thomas Reiter (Germany)
    Soyuz TM-22
    Soyuz TM-22
    EUROMIR-95
    STS-74
    STS-74
    training in Star City
    STS-74
    STS-74
    KSC - launch
    STS-74
    STS-74
    GSFC tracking - launch
    STS-74
    STS-74
    KSC special postmark
    STS-74
    STS-74
    GSFC tracking - docking
    STS-74
    STS-74
    Alex Gorshkov cachet
    STS-74
    STS-74
    Alex Gorshkov cachet
    STS-74
    STS-74
    Baikonur - docking
    STS-74
    STS-74
    GSFC tracking - undocking
    STS-74
    STS-74
    KSC landing
    STS-74
    STS-74
    GSFC tracking - landing
    STS-74
    STS-74
    NASA - JPL
    STS-74
    STS-74
    Downey, CA
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    Soyuz TM-25
    Soyuz TM-25
    landing
    STS-84
    STS-84
    roll-out Apr 24, 1997
    STS-84
    STS-84
    STS-84
    STS-84
    KSC postmark - May 16, 1997
    STS-84 / Soyuz TM-25
    STS-84 / Soyuz TM-25
    Soyuz TM-26
    Soyuz TM-26
    crew training

    Anatoly Solovyev
    Pavel Vinogradov
    Soyuz TM-26
    Soyuz TM-26
    MIR EO-24

    Anatoly Solovyev
    Pavel Vinogradov
    Soyuz TM-26
    Soyuz TM-26
    Soyuz TM-26
    Soyuz TM-26
    launch
    Soyuz TM-26
    Soyuz TM-26
    Soyuz TM-26
    Soyuz TM-26
    Soyuz TM-26
    Soyuz TM-26
    Soyuz TM-26
    Soyuz TM-26
    docking
    Soyuz TM-25
    Soyuz TM-25
    EVA
    Progress M-34 collision
    Progress M-34 collision
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    On June 25, 1997, the Russian crew including Vasiliy Tsibliev and Alexander Lazutkin, which just several months ago was battling flames on Mir, plus NASA astronaut Michael Foale, found themselves in the middle of the worst collision in space history. During a docking test with the use of remote control onboard the station, Tsibliev lost control of a tumbling cargo ship Progress M-34. The vehicle collides with the station’s Spektr module and seconds later, the crew onboard Mir hears a hissing sound of air escaping their vessel. Miraculously, almost instantly, the crewmembers were able to locate the air leak to Spektr module. After short struggle to find cutting tools, they severed the cables leading into the Spektr and safely sealed the hatches. The collision damaged one of Spektr’s solar arrays, caused a fracture that depressurized the module. Power restoration required two internal spacewalk in August and October 1997, which restored about 70% of the power capability previously available. The module was left isolated from the Mir complex until the end of the space station’s life.

    STS-86
    STS-86
    "pseudo" NASA VIP card
    STS-86
    STS-86
    KSC serviced cover
    STS-86
    STS-86
    launch - KSC and CNES
    STS-86
    STS-86
    launch - GSFC tracking
    STS-86
    STS-86
    launch - Cape Canaveral
    STS-86
    STS-86
    approach to MIR
    STS-86
    STS-86
    docking - GSFC tracking
    STS-86
    STS-86
    KSC postmark - Sep 27, 1997
    STS-86
    STS-86
    docking - Korolev
    STS-86
    STS-86
    undocking - GSFC tracking
    STS-86
    STS-86
    landing - Cape Canaveral
    STS-86
    STS-86
    landing - KSC and CNES
    STS-86
    STS-86
    landing - GSFC tracking
    STS-86
    STS-86
    landing - official cover
    STS-86
    STS-86