Article No.: 11407
An exceptional and highly unusual example of genuine Mir space mail, combining international astronaut signatures, documented orbital carriage and important Cold War-era history.
The set comprises an envelope and greeting card signed by 13 astronauts and cosmonauts attending the Seventh Planetary Congress of the Association of Space Explorers, held in Berlin in 1991 under the fitting theme “Space Has No Boundaries.” The congress brought together experienced spacefarers from different nations at a pivotal moment in European and world history.
Following the congress, the signed greeting card was sent to veteran cosmonaut Aleksandr “Alexander” Volkov, who was then serving as commander aboard the Mir space station.
Volkov launched aboard Soyuz TM-13 on 2 October 1991 and commanded Mir’s tenth principal expedition. He remained in orbit with Sergei Krikalev until 25 March 1992, completing a mission of more than 175 days. The flight spanned the dissolution of the Soviet Union, making artifacts connected with the expedition particularly evocative records of a dramatic political and technological transition.
The envelope bears an authentic postmark applied aboard Mir, confirming its presence on the legendary orbital station. According to the accompanying provenance, the reverse also carries the distinctive German “MIR ’92” special onboard marking, further connecting the item to the German–Russian spaceflight activities of that period.
The combination of features is outstanding:
This is far more than a conventionally signed greeting card. It is a remarkable international spaceflight artifact that travelled from a gathering of veteran space explorers in Berlin to one of the most important orbital stations in history.
A rare and visually compelling piece of flown space mail, uniting 13 spacefarers, the Association of Space Explorers and Commander Aleksandr Volkov’s historic Mir expedition.