STS-79+81 – Soyuz TM-23/24/25 FLOWN MIR cover - COA Kaleri

From the celebrated astrophilatelic collection of Jacques Bracke

An extraordinary Mir space station–flown cover, carried in orbit for more than seven months and signed by a remarkable total of 21 astronauts and cosmonauts. This exceptional artifact unites the crews of two Space Shuttle missions—STS-79 and STS-81—with three complete long-duration Mir crews associated with the Soyuz TM-23, TM-24, and TM-25 expeditions.

The cover was repeatedly processed aboard the Mir space station, receiving an exceptional five in-space postmarks. These cancellations document its extended journey through one of the most important eras of the Shuttle–Mir Program, when American astronauts and Russian cosmonauts worked together aboard Mir in preparation for the International Space Station partnership.

Its autograph group is especially impressive: two complete Shuttle crews, together with three complete Mir crews, creating a rare assembly of mission participants from both the American and Russian sides of the program. The signatures transform the cover from a flown postal artifact into a highly significant record of international human spaceflight during the final years of the Mir era.

Adding further distinction, the reverse bears a personal certification by cosmonaut Alexander Kaleri, who confirmed the item’s authenticity with his own official seal. This direct cosmonaut endorsement provides an important additional layer of provenance for an already exceptional flown cover.

With more than seven months in space, five authentic Mir postmarks, twenty-one astronaut and cosmonaut signatures, multiple complete Shuttle and Mir crews, Alexander Kaleri’s certification, and the distinguished provenance of Jacques Bracke, this is a true centerpiece for any advanced collection of Mir, Shuttle–Mir, Soyuz, or astronaut-signed astrophilately.