{"product_id":"soyuz-tma-11m-prime-backup-crew-cover-wiseman-11274","title":"Soyuz TMA-11M Prime + backup crew cover –  Reid Wiseman Artemis 2","description":"\u003ch2\u003e\u003cspan\u003eSOYUZ TMA-11M PRIME AND BACKUP CREW-SIGNED LAUNCH COVER\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cspan\u003eSix Astronaut and Cosmonaut Signatures • Expedition 38\/39 • Reid Wiseman and Artemis II Connection\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAn outstanding \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eSoyuz TMA-11M launch cover\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, hand-signed by the mission’s complete three-member \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eprime crew\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e and three-member \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003ebackup crew\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e. The cover commemorates the launch of Soyuz TMA-11M from the Baikonur Cosmodrome on \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e7 November 2013\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, carrying an international Russian, American and Japanese crew to the International Space Station.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cspan\u003eSoyuz TMA-11M Prime Crew\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eMikhail Tyurin — Roscosmos\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eSoyuz Commander and veteran Russian cosmonaut\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eRichard “Rick” Mastracchio — NASA\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eFlight Engineer\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eKoichi Wakata — Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, JAXA\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eFlight Engineer\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cspan\u003eSoyuz TMA-11M Backup Crew\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eMaksim “Max” Suraev — Roscosmos\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eBackup Soyuz Commander\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eReid Wiseman — NASA\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eBackup Flight Engineer\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAlexander Gerst — European Space Agency, ESA\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eBackup Flight Engineer\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe backup crew trained alongside the prime crew and stood ready to replace them if required. NASA photographs and contemporary mission records confirm Suraev, Wiseman and Gerst as the official Soyuz TMA-11M backup team.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cspan\u003eHistorical Background\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eSoyuz TMA-11M lifted off aboard a Soyuz-FG rocket from Baikonur’s historic \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eSite 1\/5\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, commonly known as “Gagarin’s Start.” Following an accelerated six-hour rendezvous, the spacecraft docked with the International Space Station on the same day.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe arrival of Tyurin, Mastracchio and Wakata temporarily increased the station’s population to \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003enine people\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, an unusually large ISS complement during the post-Space Shuttle era. They joined Expedition 37 crew members \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eOleg Kotov, Sergey Ryazansky and Michael Hopkins\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, as well as the Soyuz TMA-09M crew of \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eFyodor Yurchikhin, Karen Nyberg and Luca Parmitano\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eSoyuz TMA-11M was also closely associated with the \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e2014 Winter Olympic Games in Sochi\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e. The spacecraft transported an Olympic torch to the ISS, where it became the first Olympic torch to be carried outside a spacecraft during a spacewalk. The torch was later returned to Earth aboard Soyuz TMA-09M and used during the Olympic opening ceremony.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eDuring the expedition, Koichi Wakata became the \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003efirst Japanese commander of the International Space Station\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, assuming command of Expedition 39. The Soyuz TMA-11M crew returned safely to Earth on \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e14 May 2014\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, after approximately 188 days in space.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe Reid Wiseman Connection\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe inclusion of \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eReid Wiseman’s signature\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e gives this cover particular historical interest. At the time of Soyuz TMA-11M, Wiseman was serving as the mission’s NASA backup flight engineer.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eHe subsequently flew to the ISS aboard \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eSoyuz TMA-13M\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e in May 2014 with Maksim Suraev and Alexander Gerst—the same three astronauts who had formed the TMA-11M backup crew. Wiseman served as a flight engineer during Expeditions 40 and 41, spent more than 165 days in orbit and completed two spacewalks.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eWiseman later served as Chief of NASA’s Astronaut Office and went on to command \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eArtemis II\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, NASA’s first crewed Orion mission around the Moon. Artemis II launched on \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e1 April 2026\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e and returned safely on \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e10 April 2026\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, making Wiseman one of the relatively small number of humans to have traveled beyond low Earth orbit.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThis cover therefore links two important eras of exploration: the international Soyuz and ISS program and humanity’s return to crewed lunar voyages through Artemis.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cspan\u003eCollecting Significance\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eA launch cover signed by both the complete prime and backup crews offers a much broader historical connection than a standard crew-signed example. Its six signatures represent four major space agencies:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eRoscosmos — Mikhail Tyurin and Maksim Suraev\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eNASA — Rick Mastracchio and Reid Wiseman\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eJAXA — Koichi Wakata\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eESA — Alexander Gerst\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAll three backup crew members later flew together aboard Soyuz TMA-13M, while Wakata and Gerst each became prominent representatives of their national and international space programs. Wiseman’s later command of Artemis II adds an especially important connection to modern lunar exploration.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eA highly desirable signed space-philatelic collectible associated with an international ISS expedition, the Olympic torch’s historic journey into orbit and the future commander of humanity’s return to the vicinity of the Moon.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Been in Space","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":58254419788040,"sku":"11274","price":295.0,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1490\/3832\/files\/11274.jpg?v=1784304473","url":"https:\/\/www.beeninspace.com\/products\/soyuz-tma-11m-prime-backup-crew-cover-wiseman-11274","provider":"BEEN IN SPACE","version":"1.0","type":"link"}