Item: Soyuz TMA-3 flown parachute fragments presentation
Dimensions: presentation: 20.3 x 25.4, parachute cord: 1 x 2.3 cm, orange fabric: 0.5 x 2.5 cm, white fabric: 2.9 x 3.5 cm.

Description: Segments of the main landing parachute of Soyut TMA-3, certified by Alexander Poleschuk, former Mir cosmonaut and head of Soyuz recovery operations for RSC Energia.

Soyuz TMA-3 was a Russian spacecraft that was launched on October 18, 2003, as part of the International Space Station (ISS) program. The mission was the 8th expedition to the ISS and the 111th human spaceflight mission in history.

The mission carried three crew members: Russian cosmonaut Alexander Kaleri, American astronaut Michael Foale, and European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut Pedro Duque from Spain. The mission commander was Alexander Kaleri, who had previously flown on the Soyuz TM-14 and Soyuz TM-30 missions.

The main objective of the Soyuz TMA-3 mission was to transport the crew members to the ISS, where they would spend six months living and working aboard the orbiting laboratory. The crew performed a variety of scientific experiments during their time on the station, including studies on the effects of microgravity on the human body, plant growth in space, and the behavior of fluids in zero gravity.

Soyuz TMA-3 during its descence to earth. Credit: SpaceFacts.de

During the mission, the crew conducted several spacewalks to perform maintenance tasks on the exterior of the ISS. They also received several cargo shipments from Earth, which included supplies, equipment, and scientific instruments.

Soyuz TMA-3 remained docked to the ISS for almost six months before returning to Earth on April 30, 2004.

More information:

Soyuz TMA-3 - SpaceFacts.de

Item: Andriyan Nikolayev handsigned Russian postcard
Size: 10.9 x 14.3 cm.

Description: Andriyan Grigoryevich Nikolayev was a Soviet cosmonaut and military pilot who was born on September 5, 1929, in Shorshely, Russia.

In 1962, Nikolayev was selected as one of the six cosmonauts for the Vostok 3 mission, which was launched on August 11, 1962. This was the first time that two spacecraft had been in orbit at the same time, with Nikolayev and fellow cosmonaut Pavel Popovich aboard Vostok 3 and Andrian Nikolayev aboard Vostok 4. The two spacecraft came within a few kilometers of each other, but the cosmonauts did not actually make contact.

Nikolayev's second spaceflight was on Soyuz 9, which launched on June 1, 1970. This mission set a new endurance record, with Nikolayev and fellow cosmonaut Vitali Sevastyanov spending 17 days in orbit. They conducted various experiments and medical tests, and Nikolayev even married his wife Valentina Tereshkova, who was also a cosmonaut, while in orbit.

Nikolayev's third and final spaceflight was on Soyuz 22, which launched on September 15, 1976. This mission was notable for being the first time that a Soviet spacecraft had landed on German territory. Nikolayev and fellow cosmonaut Vladimir Kovalyonok spent almost eight days in orbit, conducting experiments and taking photographs of the Earth.

In addition to his spaceflights, Nikolayev was also a member of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR and a deputy in the Soviet parliament. He retired from the Soviet Air Force in 1982 and became a member of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union.

Andriyan Nikolayev passed away on July 3, 2004, at the age of 74.

Item: Luna 24 flown fragment.
Size: 7.2 x 10.8 cm.
Weight: 112 gr.
Description: It comes with a certificate of authenticity from Superior Stamp & and Coin.

It also includes a letter written by Cosmonaut Valery Rozhdestvensky and translated into English:

June 30, 1971 on board of Soyuz II.

Captain of the ship Dobrovsskiy G.T., Volkov V.N., and Pazaev V.I..

Accomplished a connection with space station Salyut I, the first space station of long duration taken to the orbit. I had to learn how to operate that station, and that is why after the accident, which happened because the valve for the pressure balance opened and all the vaccum had flowed out and I took part in an investigation of the causes of this accident. I still have burned layiag of the opened hatch from that flight from the escape pod.

During the landing of the escape pad of Soyuz II, a group discovered an opened hatch, and tape of pink color with laying of transparent material.

According to the report of the investigation that was the cause of the depressuring.

In the box, there are also fragments of the "Luna 24" spacecraft, inside layering. Launched on 8/9/76 - 8/22/76, after the scheduled landing on the surface of the Moon on the area of the Crisis Sea, where after the drilling of the Moon surface a sample was taken on the depth of 2 meters and this sample was delivered to earth on a container.

The weight of the sample was 170 grams.

Detail of the fragment (front and back sides)

Item: Multilayer Thermal Protection of spaceship Salyut - MIR - Soyuz TM.
Size: 13x12.5 cm.
Description: Section of multilayer thermal protection unfolded in the form of a fan to show the different layers on A4 sheet, signed by cosmonaut Anatoly Solovyev.

In order to shield the spacecraft's components from extreme temperature fluctuations in space, a multilayer vacuum-screen thermal insulation is applied to all exposed surfaces, except for the active components of sensors, antennas, windows, docking hardware, thruster nozzles, and radiator panels. Its Russian acronym is ЭВТИ, long for экранно-вакуумная теплоизоляция or Shield Vacuum Thermal Insulation. It consists of many layers of metalized film and fiberglass cloth.

Item: Sputnik 9 parachute fragmentSize: 20.4x14.8 cm.
Parachute fragment: 1.1x2.2 cm.

Description: Korabl-Sputnik 4 (Russian: Корабль-Спутник 4 meaning Ship-Satellite 4) or Vostok-3KA No.1, also known as Sputnik 9 in the West, was a Soviet spacecraft which was launched in 1961. Carrying the mannequin Ivan Ivanovich, a dog named Chernushka, some mice and a guinea pig, it was a test flight of the Vostok spacecraft. Originally sold by Spaceflori (Florian Noller). Obtained from one of his sources at Star City in Russia who had told him it was part of the parachute flown on this flight.