Expedition 43 - NASA crewsigned glossy photo

EXPEDITION 43 COMPLETE CREW-SIGNED NASA PHOTOGRAPH

Official 8 × 10-Inch Glossy • Signed by All Six Astronauts and Cosmonauts

An exceptional official NASA Expedition 43 crew photograph, measuring approximately 8 × 10 inches and hand-signed by all six astronauts and cosmonauts who served together aboard the International Space Station.

The complete international crew consisted of:

Terry W. Virts — NASA astronaut and Expedition 43 Commander
Anton Shkaplerov — Roscosmos cosmonaut and Flight Engineer
Samantha Cristoforetti — European Space Agency astronaut and Flight Engineer
Gennady Padalka — Roscosmos cosmonaut and Flight Engineer
Mikhail Kornienko — Roscosmos cosmonaut and Flight Engineer
Scott Kelly — NASA astronaut and Flight Engineer

NASA’s official Expedition 43 records identify these six space travelers as the full expedition crew.

Expedition 43: A Landmark ISS Mission

Expedition 43 took place aboard the International Space Station in 2015 and marked an important period of scientific research and preparation for increasingly long human missions in space.

Terry Virts assumed command of the station from Barry “Butch” Wilmore in March 2015. He was joined by Anton Shkaplerov and Samantha Cristoforetti, who had arrived aboard Soyuz TMA-15M in November 2014.

The station returned to its full six-person complement following the arrival of Gennady Padalka, Mikhail Kornienko and Scott Kelly aboard Soyuz TMA-16M in March 2015.

Together, the crew conducted scientific investigations involving human health, biology, technology development, robotic systems and the effects of prolonged exposure to microgravity. The expedition also installed new equipment intended to observe meteors from orbit and studied technologies such as synthetic muscles for future robotic applications.

The Beginning of the One-Year Mission

One of the most historically important aspects of Expedition 43 was the beginning of the first nearly year-long mission aboard the ISS.

Scott Kelly and Mikhail Kornienko remained aboard the station for approximately 340 days, allowing researchers to study the medical, psychological and physiological effects of extended spaceflight.

Kelly’s participation was especially valuable because his identical twin brother, former astronaut Mark Kelly, remained on Earth and took part in related research. The resulting comparisons contributed to NASA’s understanding of how prolonged spaceflight may affect the human body—knowledge considered essential for future expeditions to the Moon and Mars.

The Expedition 43 Crew

Terry W. Virts

NASA astronaut Terry Virts commanded Expedition 43. A veteran Space Shuttle pilot, he later became known for his extensive photography and filming from orbit.

Anton Shkaplerov

Russian cosmonaut Anton Shkaplerov served as commander of Soyuz TMA-15M and as an Expedition 43 flight engineer. He later completed several additional long-duration missions aboard the ISS.

Samantha Cristoforetti

Italian ESA astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti flew aboard Soyuz TMA-15M as a member of Expeditions 42 and 43. Her first mission was known as Futura. At the time of her return, she had completed the longest continuous spaceflight by a woman, lasting approximately 199 days. She later returned to the ISS and became the first European woman to command the station.

Gennady Padalka

Gennady Padalka was one of the most experienced cosmonauts in history. During Expedition 43, he began another long-duration assignment that would eventually raise his career total to 878 days in space—a world record at the time.

Mikhail Kornienko

Mikhail Kornienko served as the Russian member of the joint one-year ISS mission. His long stay with Scott Kelly provided important comparative data on the effects of extended human spaceflight.

Scott Kelly

NASA astronaut Scott Kelly began his landmark year-long mission during Expedition 43. He ultimately spent approximately 340 consecutive days aboard the ISS and accumulated more than 500 total days in space during his career.

Collecting Significance

Complete six-person expedition photographs are considerably more difficult to obtain than images signed by a single Soyuz crew. Collecting every autograph required signatures from astronauts and cosmonauts representing three separate space agencies and two different spacecraft crews.

This example combines:

• Official NASA 8 × 10-inch glossy photograph
• Hand-signed by all six Expedition 43 crew members
• Representation of NASA, Roscosmos and ESA
• Direct connection to the historic Kelly–Kornienko one-year mission
• Signature of ISS Commander Terry Virts
• Signature of future ISS Commander Samantha Cristoforetti
• Signature of space-endurance record holder Gennady Padalka
• Excellent overall condition

A highly desirable and visually impressive collectible documenting one of the most historically significant expeditions of the modern International Space Station era.

Condition: Excellent.