{"product_id":"sts-71-first-docking-mir-shuttle-flown-cover-letter-poleshuk","title":"STS-71 - first docking MIR-Shuttle - flown cover + letter Poleshuk","description":"\u003ch3\u003e\u003cspan\u003eMir–STS-71 Flown Space Mail with Two-Page Cosmonaut Letter\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAn exceptional and highly personal example of genuine \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eMir-era space mail\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, comprising an addressed cover and its complete original two-page handwritten letter.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe correspondence was written by veteran Russian cosmonaut \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAleksandr Poleshchuk\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e to fellow cosmonaut \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eGennady Strekalov\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e while Strekalov was serving aboard the Mir space station. The cover was officially postmarked aboard Mir, creating a tangible postal record of its presence in orbit.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eStrekalov launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome on \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e14 March 1995\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e aboard Soyuz TM-21 with Mir-18 commander Vladimir Dezhurov and NASA astronaut Norman Thagard. The mission was historically important: Thagard became the first American to launch aboard a Russian Soyuz spacecraft and the first American to complete a long-duration residency aboard Mir.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eDuring their approximately 115-day expedition, Strekalov and Dezhurov helped prepare Mir for the arrival of the Spektr research module and the first docking by an American Space Shuttle. Strekalov, already a veteran of several missions, served as Mir-18 flight engineer; Soyuz TM-21 was his fifth and final spaceflight.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eSpace Shuttle \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAtlantis\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e launched on STS-71 on \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e27 June 1995\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e and docked with Mir two days later. The mission marked the first docking between a Space Shuttle and the Russian station, the first Shuttle exchange of a Mir crew and, at the time, the creation of the largest spacecraft complex ever assembled in orbit.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAccording to the accompanying provenance, both the envelope and the enclosed letter remained with Strekalov and returned to Earth aboard \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAtlantis\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e on \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e7 July 1995\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e. Strekalov personally certified the cover, providing an important first-hand confirmation of its flight history.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe combination is especially desirable because it preserves the entire correspondence rather than only an empty flown envelope:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eOriginal cover addressed by cosmonaut Aleksandr Poleshchuk\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eComplete two-page handwritten letter\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003ePostmarked aboard the Mir space station\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cspan\u003eReturned from orbit aboard Space Shuttle \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAtlantis\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003ePersonally certified by recipient Gennady Strekalov\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThis remarkable piece travelled through one of the defining moments of the Shuttle–Mir program, linking two veteran Russian cosmonauts with the historic first docking of Mir and an American Space Shuttle. It is both a genuine flown artifact and a rare piece of private correspondence connected directly to life aboard the legendary orbital station.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eOriginally sold for $1,900—a striking and unusually complete example of authentic cosmonaut space mail.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Been in Space","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":58341698765064,"sku":"11406","price":595.0,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1490\/3832\/files\/11406.jpg?v=1785580481","url":"https:\/\/www.beeninspace.com\/products\/sts-71-first-docking-mir-shuttle-flown-cover-letter-poleshuk","provider":"BEEN IN SPACE","version":"1.0","type":"link"}