Soyuz TMA13M crews – Reid Wiseman !

From the celebrated astrophilatelic collection of Jacques Bracke

A highly desirable Soyuz TMA-13M prime-and-backup crew signed launch cover Baikonur bringing together all six astronauts and cosmonauts assigned to one of the most internationally significant International Space Station crew rotations of the 2014–2015 period.

The cover unites the prime crew of Soyuz TMA-13M:

Maxim Suraev — Roscosmos cosmonaut and Soyuz commander
Alexander Gerst — ESA astronaut from Germany
Reid Wiseman — NASA astronaut and Expedition 40/41 flight engineer

with the officially trained backup crew:

Anton Shkaplerov — Roscosmos cosmonaut and backup Soyuz commander
Samantha Cristoforetti — ESA astronaut from Italy
Terry Virts — NASA astronaut

Soyuz TMA-13M launched from Baikonur on 28 May 2014, carrying Suraev, Gerst, and Wiseman to the International Space Station for Expeditions 40 and 41. Their mission represented a strong example of the ISS partnership at work, combining Russian Soyuz operations with NASA and ESA long-duration crew members. The backup crew—Shkaplerov, Cristoforetti, and Virts—later flew together as the Soyuz TMA-15M crew and became the principal Expedition 42/43 team, making this photograph an especially attractive bridge between two consecutive ISS expeditions.

The central signature is that of Reid Wiseman, whose importance has grown considerably beyond his first spaceflight. During Expeditions 40 and 41, Wiseman spent more than 165 days in space as a flight engineer aboard the ISS. He later commanded Artemis II, NASA’s first crewed Orion mission around the Moon, placing him among the defining American astronauts of the new lunar exploration era. His signature gives this Soyuz-era crew image a direct and compelling connection between the International Space Station generation and humanity’s return to deep-space flight.

The supporting signatures are equally important. Alexander Gerst became one of Europe’s most prominent modern astronauts and later commanded Expedition 57. Samantha Cristoforetti went on to become a major figure in European human spaceflight and ISS leadership. Terry Virts later commanded the ISS and is especially admired for his space photography, while Anton Shkaplerov and Maxim Suraev represent distinguished Roscosmos Soyuz and long-duration flight experience.

Complete prime-and-backup Soyuz crew signed photographs are rarely encountered. With six authentic signatures, distinguished Jacques Bracke provenance, and the exceptional Reid Wiseman Artemis connection, this is a standout piece for collectors of Soyuz missions, ISS history, ESA astronauts, complete crew autographs, and modern lunar-exploration memorabilia.