{"product_id":"expedition-28-sts-135-flown-iss-cover","title":"Expedition 27+28 and STS-135 FLOWN ISS cover - final Space Shuttle docking","description":"\u003ch3 data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eHistoric STS-135 \/ Expedition 28 Flown International Space Station Cover – Postmarked July 10, 2011, the Final Space Shuttle Docking with the ISS – Signed in Orbit by Nine Astronauts and Cosmonauts\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAn exceptional \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eflown International Space Station postal cover associated with Expedition 27+28 and STS-135\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, bearing an onboard cancellation dated \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eJuly 10, 2011\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e—the historic day on which \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eSpace Shuttle Atlantis docked with the International Space Station for the final time\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe cover was carried in space and is \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003esigned by nine astronauts and cosmonauts\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, creating a remarkable contemporary record of the final meeting between a NASA Space Shuttle and the International Space Station.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eIts July 10, 2011 onboard cancellation gives the piece particular historical importance, directly associating it with one of the defining dates marking the conclusion of the Space Shuttle era.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe Final Voyage of Space Shuttle Atlantis\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAtlantis lifted off from Kennedy Space Center on \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eJuly 8, 2011\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, on mission \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eSTS-135\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, the 135th—and final—flight of NASA’s Space Shuttle Program.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eCommanded by \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eChristopher Ferguson\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, with Pilot \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eDouglas Hurley\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e and Mission Specialists \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eSandra Magnus\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e and \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eRex Walheim\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, Atlantis embarked on a final resupply mission to the International Space Station.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eTwo days after launch, on \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eJuly 10, 2011\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, Atlantis approached the orbital complex for what would become the final Space Shuttle rendezvous and docking in history.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAwaiting the shuttle aboard the ISS was the six-member \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eExpedition 28\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e crew:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAndrey Borisenko, Alexander Samokutyaev, Ronald Garan, Sergei Volkov, Michael Fossum, and Satoshi Furukawa.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eFor the final time, a Space Shuttle crew joined an International Space Station expedition crew through the open hatch between the two spacecraft.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe moment represented far more than a routine docking. It marked the last operational connection between the ISS and the spacecraft that had played a fundamental role in its construction.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe Shuttle and the International Space Station\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eFew achievements demonstrate the significance of the Space Shuttle more clearly than the International Space Station itself.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eBeginning with the earliest ISS assembly missions, the Shuttle served as the principal heavy-lift vehicle for transporting major station components, scientific equipment, supplies, and crews into orbit. Shuttle astronauts conducted numerous spacewalks to assemble and maintain the growing orbital laboratory, while the orbiter’s payload bay and robotic systems enabled the transportation and installation of structures that could not have reached orbit by other available means.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eSTS-135 therefore represented the closing chapter of a relationship spanning more than a decade of ISS construction and operations.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAtlantis carried the \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eRaffaello Multi-Purpose Logistics Module\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, loaded with thousands of pounds of equipment, spare parts, food, and other supplies intended to sustain station operations following the retirement of the Shuttle fleet.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eWhen Atlantis docked on July 10, the combined STS-135 and Expedition 28 crews temporarily brought \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eten people together aboard the linked Shuttle\/ISS complex\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e for the final such gathering in history.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe End of the Space Shuttle Era\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe historical importance of STS-135 extends well beyond the mission itself.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eNASA's Space Shuttle Program began with the launch of \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eColumbia on STS-1 on April 12, 1981\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e. Over the following thirty years, the Shuttle fleet became one of the defining symbols of human spaceflight, launching satellites and scientific observatories, servicing spacecraft—including the Hubble Space Telescope—and playing an indispensable role in assembling the International Space Station.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eWith Atlantis’ landing at Kennedy Space Center on \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eJuly 21, 2011\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, the program formally came to an end.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAcross its thirty-year history, the Shuttle fleet completed \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e135 missions\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, carried hundreds of astronauts into orbit, and fundamentally transformed the manner in which humans worked and lived in space.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe July 10 docking represented one of the final ceremonial and operational milestones of that extraordinary program: \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003ethe last arrival of a Space Shuttle at the International Space Station\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eA Remarkable Space-Philatelic Artifact\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eFlown postal covers have occupied a distinctive place within human spaceflight since the earliest crewed missions. Examples carried aboard spacecraft or space stations combine traditional philately with direct physical participation in a mission and have long been collected as compact documentary artifacts of space exploration.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThis example is particularly significant because its \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eonboard July 10, 2011 cancellation corresponds exactly with the date of Atlantis’ final ISS docking\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eFurther distinguished by the \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003enine astronaut and cosmonaut signatures applied in connection with the mission\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, the cover serves as both a flown artifact and a collective record of the international crews present during the closing days of the Space Shuttle era.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe convergence of its \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eflight status, mission-date cancellation, multiple crew signatures, Expedition 28 association, and direct connection with STS-135\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e places this cover among the more historically evocative examples of modern ISS space philately.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eHistorical Significance\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eMission:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e STS-135 \/ International Space Station Expedition 28\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eSpacecraft:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e Space Shuttle Atlantis \/ International Space Station\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eDate of Cancellation:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e July 10, 2011\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eHistorical Event:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e Final docking of a Space Shuttle with the International Space Station\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eSignatures:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e Nine astronauts and cosmonauts \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eStatus:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e Flown aboard the International Space Station\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eA Witness to the End of an Era\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eFew dates symbolize the conclusion of the Space Shuttle Program as powerfully as \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eJuly 10, 2011\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eOn that day, Atlantis arrived at the International Space Station for the final time, joining the orbital laboratory whose construction the Shuttle fleet had helped make possible. Nine astronaut and cosmonaut signatures transform this flown cover into a uniquely personal record of that moment.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAn exceptional artifact from the final Space Shuttle mission—combining flown status, an historically significant onboard cancellation, and the signatures of members of the international crews who witnessed the last Shuttle docking with the ISS. A tangible document from the closing chapter of one of the most consequential programs in the history of human spaceflight.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Been in Space","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":59048951447816,"sku":"10904","price":425.0,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1490\/3832\/files\/10904.jpg?v=1791544721","url":"https:\/\/www.beeninspace.com\/products\/expedition-28-sts-135-flown-iss-cover","provider":"BEEN IN SPACE","version":"1.0","type":"link"}