Expedition 8 Space Mail.
Expedition 8 mission lasted from 02.12.90 till 26.05.91. Crew: V.Afanasjev, M.Manarov.
This letter was delivered to the "Mir” space station by the Russian SoyuzTM-11 spacecraft.
SoyuzTM-11 launch crew: V.Afanasjev, M.Manarov, T.Akiyama (Japan).
Aboard the station the letter was marked with the "Mir” octagonal board seal, the "Mir” pentagonal board seal and the "Mir” board post mark dated December 04, 1990, the day when SoyuzTM-11 docked with the Mir/SoyuzTM-10 Complex.
The letter was addressed to Russian cosmonaut Gennadiy Manakov, commander of Expedition 7, from his wife. The note on the letter about the means of delivery was written by the addressee, cosmonaut G.Manakov.
Postal stationery was cancelled aboard the "Mir” space complex on December 10, 1990 to document the undocking of SoyuzTM-10 from the Mir/SoyuzTM-11 Complex.
The first Japanese cosmonaut Toyohiro Akiyama, launched aboard SoyuzTM-11, returned back to Earth by SoyuzTM-10 together with Expedition 7 crew.
The cover was autographed by all cosmonauts who were aboard the "Mir” space station at that day: Gennadiy Manakov, Gennadiy Strekalov, Viktor Afanasjev, Musa Manarov and Toyohiro Akiyama.