{"product_id":"soyuz-tma-8-svarowsky-crystals-flown-iss-cover-11309","title":"Soyuz TMA-8 - Svarowsky crystals stamp FLOWN ISS cover + letter","description":"\u003ch2\u003e\u003cspan\u003eUNIQUE ISS-FLOWN SWAROVSKI CRYSTAL STAMP COVER AND HANDWRITTEN LETTER\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cspan\u003eDelivered by Soyuz TMA-8 to Cosmonaut Valery Tokarev\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e\n\u003cspan\u003eCertified by Tokarev • AIEP Certificate • Published in \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan\u003eSpace \u0026amp; Philately\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\n\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cspan\u003eFrom the Personal Collection of Renowned Astrophilatelist Jacques Bracke\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAn extraordinary and potentially unique piece of \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eInternational Space Station astrophilately\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, consisting of an envelope addressed and sent to Russian cosmonaut \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eValery Tokarev aboard the ISS\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, together with its original handwritten letter from noted astrophilatelist \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eIgor Rodin\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe envelope is franked with Austria’s distinctive \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eSwarovski Crystal Worlds miniature stamp sheet\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, an innovative postal issue incorporating genuine Swarovski crystals. Austrian Post issued the sheet in 2004 with two crystal-decorated stamps\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, combining traditional philately with the celebrated crystal craftsmanship of Swarovski.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAccording to Tokarev’s handwritten certification on the reverse, the cover was:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e“Delivered to the ISS by Soyuz TMA-8 on April 1st 2006.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThis personal statement by the recipient provides a direct connection between the envelope and its transportation to the International Space Station.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cspan\u003eSoyuz TMA-8 and the Delivery to the ISS\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eSoyuz TMA-8 launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome on \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e30 March 2006\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e and docked with the International Space Station on \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e1 April 2006\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, matching the delivery date recorded by Valery Tokarev on the reverse of the cover.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe complete Soyuz TMA-8 launch crew consisted of:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003ePavel Vinogradov — Roscosmos cosmonaut and Soyuz commander\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eJeffrey N. Williams — NASA astronaut and flight engineer\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eMarcos Pontes — Brazilian Space Agency astronaut and flight engineer\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cspan\u003eValery Tokarev and Expedition 12\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAt the time the letter arrived, Valery Tokarev was completing a long-duration assignment aboard the ISS as flight engineer of \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eExpedition 12.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 0.875rem;\"\u003eMcArthur and Tokarev had launched aboard Soyuz TMA-7 on \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong style=\"font-size: 0.875rem;\"\u003e1 October 2005\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 0.875rem;\"\u003e and had lived and worked aboard the station for approximately six months. Their expedition included scientific research, maintenance of the orbital complex and two spacewalks.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe envelope therefore reached Tokarev during the brief and historically significant handover period when the outgoing and incoming expedition crews were simultaneously aboard the ISS.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cspan\u003eIgor Rodin’s Handwritten Letter\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe original handwritten letter by \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eIgor Rodin\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e is an integral part of the ensemble. Preserving the correspondence together with its envelope provides valuable contextual evidence and transforms the object from an isolated flown cover into a documented personal communication sent from Earth to a named cosmonaut in orbit.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe combination of sender, recipient, contents and Tokarev’s handwritten delivery confirmation offers an unusually complete record of the cover’s journey.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cspan\u003eCertification and Published Documentation\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe envelope and its accompanying handwritten letter are supplied with:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul data-spread=\"false\"\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cspan\u003eAn \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAIEP certificate\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cspan\u003eA copy of the 2007 \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan\u003eSpace \u0026amp; Philately\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e bulletin\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe published article featuring this exact cover\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eValery Tokarev’s handwritten certification on the reverse\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eProvenance from the personal collection of Jacques Bracke\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003ePublication of the specific object in a specialist astrophilatelic bulletin adds an important additional layer of documentation, allowing the cover to be connected with an identifiable contemporary reference rather than relying solely upon later recollection.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cspan\u003eCollecting Significance\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThis remarkable ensemble combines several highly desirable characteristics:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul data-spread=\"false\"\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eTransported to the International Space Station aboard Soyuz TMA-8\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003ePersonally addressed to cosmonaut Valery Tokarev\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eCertified and dated by Tokarev on the reverse\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eFranked with the unusual Austrian Swarovski issue containing genuine crystals\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAccompanied by Igor Rodin’s original handwritten letter\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eSupported by an AIEP certificate\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cspan\u003ePublished and illustrated in the 2007 \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan\u003eSpace \u0026amp; Philately\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e bulletin\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eProvenance from the personal collection of Jacques Bracke\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eDirect association with the Expedition 12–13 crew handover\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eConnection to the first spaceflight by a Brazilian astronaut\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eFew astrophilatelic objects combine such striking visual appeal with documented orbital transportation, personal cosmonaut correspondence, specialist certification and published provenance.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eA superb and possibly unique artifact linking Austrian philately, Swarovski design, the Russian Soyuz program and the multinational history of the International Space Station.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Been in Space","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":58254420017416,"sku":"11309","price":595.0,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1490\/3832\/files\/11309.jpg?v=1784304476","url":"https:\/\/www.beeninspace.com\/products\/soyuz-tma-8-svarowsky-crystals-flown-iss-cover-11309","provider":"BEEN IN SPACE","version":"1.0","type":"link"}