The International Space Station "ISS" - Space Mail of the 1st ISS-Crew ("Expedition 1")
On October 31, 2000 the Soyuz TM-31 spacecraft with the Expedition 1 crew on board was launched to the International Space Station. On November 2, 2000 the space vehicle docked to the ISS. Y. Gidzenko, S. Krikalev (both Russia) and W. Shepherd (USA) began their mission aboard the ISS. Since then the ISS has been orbiting in piloted regime. The Expedition 1 mission lasted 141 days (till March 21, 2001).
During its mission the Expedition 1 crew received and unloaded 2 unmanned supply spacecrafts (Progress M1-4 & Progress M-44), worked together with 2 guest crews of American Space Shuttles (STS-97 & STS-98) and met the crew of Expedition 2 which was delivered to the ISS by American Space Shuttle STS-102. The Expedition 1 crew returned back to Earth aboard the American Space Shuttle STS-102.
So, during its mission the Expedition 1 crew had the possibility to receive letters from Earth 5 times (Progress M1-4 & M-44, STS-97, STS-98 & STS-102) and to send letters to Earth 2 times (STS-97, STS-98). This lot represents letter for each of the above mentioned transport.
Letter 1: Progress M1-4 up to the ISS - the first mail delivery from Earth to the ISS (Hopferwieser IS-05a)
2000, ISS-01 / PROGRESS M1-4 - space letter with content delivered to the ISS by the unmanned supply spacecraft. Handwritten letter addressed to Russian cosmonaut Y. Gidzenko from his mother-in-law. Both cover and letter with octagonal board seal and round team seal of "Expedition 1" crew. Only 13 letters were delivered to the ISS by Progress M1-4. Certificate by Y. Gidzenko and Certificate of Authenticity by A.I.E.P.
Letter 2: STS-97 up to the ISS - the last space mail sent from Earth in the 20th Century as well as in the 2nd Millennium (Hopferwieser IS-05b).
2000, ISS-01 / STS 97 - space letter with content delivered to the ISS by Space Shuttle ENDEAVOUR (STS-97). Handwritten letter addressed to Russian cosmonaut Y. Gidzenko from his mother.
Both cover and letter with octagonal board seal and round team seal of "Expedition 1" crew. Only 19 letters were delivered to the ISS by Space Shuttle ENDEAVOUR (STS-97). Certificate by Y. Gidzenko and Certificate of Authenticity by A.I.E.P.
Letter 3: STS-97 on the way back to Earth - the last space mail sent from space to Earth in the 20th Century as well as in the 2nd Millennium (Hopferwieser IS-05c).
2000, ISS-01 / STS-97 - space letter with content sent from the ISS and delivered to Earth by Space Shuttle ENDEAVOUR (STS-97). Handwritten letter from cosmonaut Y. Gidzenko to his mother-in-law.
Both cover and letter with octagonal board seal and round team seal of "Expedition 1" crew. Only 18 letters were delivered to Earth from the ISS by Space Shuttle ENDEAVOUR (STS-97). Certificate by Y. Gidzenko and Certificate of Authenticity by A.I.E.P.
Letter 4: STS-98 up to the ISS - the first space mail sent from Earth in the 21st Century as well as in the 3rd Millennium (Hopferwieser IS-05d)
2001, ISS-01 / STS-98 - space letter with content delivered to the ISS by Space Shuttle ATLANTIS (STS-98). Handwritten letter to Russian cosmonaut Y. Gidzenko from his mother-in-law.
Both cover and letter with octagonal board seal and round team seal of "Expedition 1" crew. Only 12 letters were delivered to the ISS by Space Shuttle ATLANTIS (STS-98). Certificate by Y. Gidzenko and Certificate of Authenticity by A.I.E.P.
Letter 5: STS-98 on the way back to Earth - the first space mail sent from space to Earth in the 21st Century as well as in the 3rd Millennium (Hopferwieser IS-05e).
2001, ISS-01 / STS-98 - space letter with content sent from the ISS and delivered to Earth by Space Shuttle ATLANTIS (STS-98). Handwritten letter from cosmonaut Y. Gidzenko to his son.
Both cover and letter with octagonal board seal and round team seal of "Expedition 1" crew . Only 19 letters were delivered to Earth from the ISS by Space Shuttle ATLANTIS (STS-98). Certificate by Y. Gidzenko and Certificate of Authenticity by A.I.E.P.
Letter 6: Progress M-44 up to the ISS (Hopferwieser IS-05f).
2001, ISS-01 / PROGRESS M-44 - space letter with content delivered to the ISS by unmanned supply spacecraft. Handwritten letter addressed to Russian cosmonaut Y. Gidzenkos family from his relative.
Both cover and letter with octagonal board seal and round team seal of "Expedition 1" crew. Only 16 letters were delivered to the ISS by Progress M-44. Certificate by Y. Gidzenko and Certificate of Authenticity by A.I.E.P.
Letter 7: STS-102 up to the ISS (Hopferwieser IS-05g)
2001, ISS-01 / STS-102 - space letter with content delivered to the ISS by Space Shuttle DISCOVERY (STS-102). Handwritten letter addressed to Russian cosmonaut S. KRIKALEV from his wife.
Both cover and letter with octagonal board seal and round team seal of "Expedition 1" crew. Only 14 letters were delivered to the ISS by Space Shuttle DISCOVERY (STS-102). Certificate by S. Krikalev and Certificate of Authenticity by A.I.E.P.
A free copy of the book "The First Mail of the International Space Station" will be presented to the buyer. It covers an in-depth examination and research of the Space Mail delivered to and from the International Space Station during the first flights to the ISS and the Expedition 1 mission.
There are the illustrations of the rarest and most interesting Space Mail items regarded to the first flights to the ISS In the book and practically all personal letters regarded to the Expedition 1 mission.

2002, ISS-05 / SOYUZ TMA-1 - flown space cover, no. 132 of 200; with octagonal board seal, small round team seal (Soyuz TM-34), postmark Baikonur "301002" (start Soyuz TMA-1), 2 postmarks (red) "1 NOV 2002" (docking Soyuz TMA-1) & "9 NOV 2002" (landing Soyuz TM-34), postmark Gorodok "111102"; on the backside mission postmark "OdiSSea" and small team seal; signed by S. ZALYOTIN, F. DE WINNE (Belgium) & Y. LONCHAKOV (Soyuz TMA-1). Certificate by V. Zaletin & photo certificate from Bolaffi

2002, ISS-05 / SOYUZ TMA-1 - flown space cover, no. 4 of 200; with octagonal board seal, small round team seal (Soyuz TM-34), postmark Baikonur "301002" (start Soyuz TMA-1), 2 postmarks (red) "1 NOV 2002" (docking Soyuz TMA-1) & "9 NOV 2002" (landing Soyuz TM-34), postmark Gorodok "111102"; on the backside mission postmark "OdiSSea" and small team seal; signed by S. ZALYOTIN, F. DE WINNE (Belgium) & Y. LONCHAKOV (Soyuz TMA-1). Certificate by V. Zaletin & photo certificate from Bolaffi

2003, RUSSIA / RSM-52 - anniversary cover "25 Years Anniversary of German-Russian Space Flight" with first German cosmonaut Sigmund Jähn; postmark 15.10.2003; certificate

2005, CHINA / SHENZOU-6 / SOYUZ TMA-8 - flown space card, transported later to space station ISS, only 16 covers known that made this second space journey; with octagonal board seal ISS, 2 cancellations "9.9.2005" (packing of covers) & "17.10.2005" (landing Shenzou-6) and 1 postmark "12.10.2005" (start Shenzou-6), on the back cancellation "19.10.2005"

2009, ISS-19/20 / SOYUZ TMA-15 - flown space mail with content and mail receipt, as registered mail to cosmonaut R. ROMANENKO with stamp "Sojus 26/28-Komsonauten"; with octagonal board seal, postmark russian segment "29 05 09" (docking Soyuz TMA-15) & special Austrian postmark "Sojus-28" "28.3.2009"; on backside postmark Gorodok "070409", board postmark "29 MAY 2009" and handwritten confirmation of transport with Soyuz TMA-15; letter with corresponding board seal & 2 post marks. Photo certificate from Capt. I. Rodin.

2010, ISS-24 / SOYUZ TMA-19 - flown space mail with content, mail to cosmonaut A. SKVORTSOV with Austrian stamps "...ISS..." & "Columbus Laboratorium ... Atlantis (USA)"; with octagonal board seal, postmark russian segment "18 06 10" & board postmark "18 JUN 2010", stamps cancelled with postmark Vienna "6. May 2010"; letter with corresponding board seal & 2 post marks. Photo certificate from Capt. I. Rodin.

2011, ISS-27 / PROGRESS M-10M - flown space mail with content, to cosmonaut D. KONDRATYEV, CONFIRMED WRONG DATES; with octagonal board seal, postmark Godorok "180311", postmark russian segment "04 11 12" (wrong date, should be 29.04.11 - docking Progress M-10M) & board postmark "7 APR 2011" on the cover, on the letter the corresponding board seal and 2 postmarks; on the backside handwritten note "The date in the board seals was set by mistake. The letter was delivered by Progress M-10M spacecraft on April 29, 2011" with signature of D. KONDRATYEV. Photo certificate from Capt. I. Rodin.

2011, ISS-27 / SPACE SHUTTLE STS-134 - flown space cover, with board seal and 2 postmarks russian segment "18 05 11" (docking STS-134) & "30 05 11" (undocking STS-134); with 7 signatures

2011, ISS-28 / SPACE SHUTTLE STS-135 - flown space cover of LAST SPACE SHUTTLE FLIGHT, with board seal, 2 postmarks russian segment "10 07 11" (docking STS-135) & "18 07 11" (undocking STS-135) and board souvenir seal (blue) "18 Jul 2011"; with 7 signatures

2012, ISS-30 / PROGRESS M-15M - flown registered space mail with content, to G. PADALKA & O. KONONENKO from "Gmündner Weltraumfreunde" (Vienna); cover with postmark "100312"; cover and card both with board seal, postmark russian segment "22 04 12" (docking Progress M-15M) & board souvenir seal "22 Apr 2012", special postmark "50 Jahre erster Amerikaner im Orbit". Picture of the cover floating in space enclosed.

2012, ISS-31 / SOYUZ TMA-04M - flown space mail with content, from cosmonaut J. TARELKIN to cosmonaut O. KONONENKO; franked with imperforated DISPLAY SHEET on carton (ref. Michel Russia 1220-1223); cover with postmarks Baikonur "15 Mai 2012", board seal, postmark russian segment "17 05 12" (docking Soyuz TMA-04M) & board souvenir seal "17 Mai 2012", letter with correlating postmark russian segement. Picture of the cover floating in space enclosed.

2012, ISS-33 / SOYUZ TMA-06M - private space mail with content; written by O. NOVITZKIY on ISS to his family on Earth; with board seal, postmark russian segment "19 11 12" (undocking Soyuz TMA-05M), board souvenir seal "19 Nov 2012" and two postmarks after being returned to Earth "21.11.12"; letter with corresponding postmark russian segment and signature of O. Novitzkiy.

2015, ISS-43 / SOYUZ TMA-16M - flown space cover with greetings from the "Prime Minister of the Principality of Liechtenstein" (A. HASLER); 1st space mail (R-Cover) from Liechtenstein to the ISS; with special postmark from VADUZ "19.1.2015", octagonal board seal "ISS" (blue), postmark Roskosmos (blue) and russian segment postmark 28.03.15 (docking Soyuz TMA-16M), on the back postmark from Moscow 27.01.15 (incoming mail) and russian segment postmark 11.09.15 (undocking Soyuz TMA-16M), greeting note with russian segment postmark 28.03.15 (red) and board seal "ISS"; signatures of G. PADALKA & M. KORNIJENKO. Certifacte of authenticity by Hopferwieser.

2016, ISS-50 / 29. ASE CONGRESS / SOYUZ MS-03 - flown letter with content; issued on the Association of Space Explorers (ASE) 29th Planetary Congress, held from the 3rd to -7th of October 2016 in Vienna (Austria), with 55 (fiftyandfive) signatures of astronaut and cosmonauts - and transported to the ISS. Cover and letter with board seal, postmark russian segment "19 11 16" (docking Soyuz MS-03) & board souvenir seal "19 Nov 2016", letter from W. Hopferwieser to the ISS-50 crew. Picture of the cover floating in space enclosed.

2016, ISS-49/50 / CYGNUS OA-5 - flown space cover, marking the flight of US "CYGNUS" CRS OA-5 to the ISS; with octagonal board seal, postmark russian segment "23 10 16" (docking CRS OA-5) & board souvenir seal "23 Nov 2016" (undocking CRS OA-5)

2017, ISS-51/52 / CYGNUS OA-7 - flown space cover, marking the flight of US "CYGNUS" CRS OA-7 to the ISS; with octagonal board seal, postmark russian segment "22 04 17" (docking CRS OA-7) & board souvenir seal "04 Jun 2017" (undocking CRS OA-7)

2017, ISS-52 / DRAGON CRS-11 - flown space cover, marking the flight of US "DRAGON" CRS-11 to the ISS; with octagonal board seal, postmark russian segment "05 06 17" (docking CRS-11) & board souvenir seal "02 Jul 2017" (undocking CRS-11)

2017, ISS-52/53 / SOYUZ MS-05 - flown space cover, marking the flight of the expedition 52/53 to the ISS; with octagonal board seal, postmark russian segment "29 07 17" (docking CRS-11); signed by S. RYAZANSKY, F. YURCHIKHIN & A. MISURKIN (all Russia), P. WHITSON, J. FISHER, R. BRESNIK, M. VANDE HEI & J. ACABA (all USA), P. NESPOLI (Italy)

2017, ISS-53 / DRAGON CRS-12 - flown space cover, marking the flight of US "DRAGON" CRS-12 to the ISS; with octagonal board seal, postmark russian segment "16 08 17" (docking CRS-12) & board souvenir seal "17 Sep 2017" (undocking CRS-12); signed by S. RYAZANSKY, A. MISURKIN, R. BRESNIK (USA), M. VANDE HEI (USA), J. ACABA (USA) & P. NESPOLI (Italy)