{"product_id":"soyuz-tm-29-prime-backup-crew","title":"Soyuz TM-29 - prime + backup crew","description":"\u003ch3\u003e\u003cspan\u003eSoyuz TM-29 Baikonur Launch Cover — Signed by the Complete Prime and Backup Crews\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eRare and historically significant \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eSoyuz TM-29 launch cover from the Baikonur Cosmodrome\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, hand-signed by all six members of the mission’s official prime and backup crews.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003ePrime crew:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eViktor Afanasyev\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e — Russia, Soyuz Commander\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eJean-Pierre Haigneré\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e — France, Flight Engineer\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eIvan Bella\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e — Slovakia, Research Cosmonaut\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eBackup crew:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eSalizhan Sharipov\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e — Russia, Backup Commander\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eClaudie André-Deshays\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e — France, Backup Flight Engineer, later known as Claudie Haigneré\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eMichal Fulier\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e — Slovakia, Backup Research Cosmonaut\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eSoyuz TM-29 lifted off from Baikonur’s historic Site 1 on \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e20 February 1999\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e and docked with the Mir space station two days later. The mission was unusual for carrying representatives of three nations in a single Soyuz spacecraft. With two seats assigned to France and Slovakia, Commander Viktor Afanasyev was the only Russian cosmonaut aboard.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe flight marked a major national milestone for \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eIvan Bella\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, who became the first Slovak citizen to travel into space. His short-duration mission, named \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eŠtefánik\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, lasted approximately eight days before he returned to Earth aboard Soyuz TM-28.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eFrench astronaut \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eJean-Pierre Haigneré\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e remained aboard Mir for the long-duration \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003ePerseus\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e mission. He served as a Soyuz and Mir flight engineer, conducted an extensive program of European scientific experiments and participated in a spacewalk. His nearly 189-day flight was, at the time, the longest space mission completed by a non-Russian astronaut.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAfanasyev and Haigneré returned aboard Soyuz TM-29 on \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e28 August 1999\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, accompanied by veteran Mir cosmonaut \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eSergei Avdeyev\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, who had already been aboard the station when TM-29 arrived. Their departure temporarily left Mir unoccupied and placed the station into standby mode near the end of its operational life.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe backup signatures add considerable depth to the piece. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eSalizhan Sharipov\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e had already flown to Mir aboard Space Shuttle \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan\u003eEndeavour\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e on STS-89. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eClaudie André-Deshays\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, later Claudie Haigneré, was France’s first female space traveller and subsequently flew to the International Space Station. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eMichal Fulier\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e trained as Ivan Bella’s Slovak backup for the Štefánik mission.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eBringing together six signatures from Russia, France and Slovakia, this launch cover is an exceptional document of international cooperation during the final years of the Mir program. The complete prime-and-backup crew combination is considerably more desirable than a conventionally signed mission cover and provides a direct connection to one of the most internationally distinctive Soyuz flights of the Mir era.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eA rare Baikonur launch artifact signed by the complete Soyuz TM-29 prime and backup crews.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Been in Space","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":58341694046472,"sku":"11529","price":59.0,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1490\/3832\/files\/11529.jpg?v=1785580405","url":"https:\/\/www.beeninspace.com\/products\/soyuz-tm-29-prime-backup-crew","provider":"BEEN IN SPACE","version":"1.0","type":"link"}