Auctionbytes-NewsFlash, Number 47 - March 25, 2001 - ISSN 1539-5065      Previous Story |

By Ina Steiner
AuctionBytes.com
March 25, 2001

An original flown Russian Soyuz space capsule, used in the successful repair of the Mir space station in 1997, will be auctioned May 5-6, 2001, at The Museum of Flying in Santa Monica, California, by Superior Galleries. The Russian Soyuz TM-26 capsule measures six-feet in diameter and was the main transport vehicle for cosmonauts sent to repair the crippled Mir in August, 1997. The nearly three-ton capsule was launched on August 5, 1997, logging a total of 198 days in space and flying nearly 79 million miles. In addition to the capsule, the winning bidder and a guest will receive an invitation to a Russian space launch, as well as a VIP guided tour of Star City where Russian cosmonauts and American astronauts train. Superior Galleries is a full-service auction firm specializing in rare coins, stamps and space exploration memorabilia. http://www.superiorgalleries.com