posted 11-14-2017 12:29 PM               

Space Cover 442: Soyuz 11 Crew Autographs

I have the signatures for every astronaut and cosmonaut who went into space during the first 25 years from Gagarin to, and including, Christa McAuliffe. But the toughest of the lot was Soyuz 11. That was the craft in which a valve of some kind was not tightened (as I recall) and the three cosmonauts, V. Volkov, V. Patsayev and G. Dobrovlosky died during the return to Earth phase of their mission. Only Volkov had flown before, on Soyuz 7, and I had his signature for that flight, but the other two are next to impossible to locate.

However, several years ago I bought the pictured cover that was signed by seven cosmonauts at a party, shortly before the Soyuz 11 launch.

So, in the event that any of you ever run across these three signatures, the attached cover shows what they look like.

There are seven signatures shown. In order of their appearance from the top of the cover down you can see: Those marked with an asterisk (*) are the Soyuz 11 crew members.

• Alexei Yeliseyev: Soyuz 5, 8 and 10
  
• (*) Vladislav Volkov: Soyuz 7 and 11
  
• Georgi Beregovoy: Soyuz 3 (deceased)
  
• (*) Victor Patsayev: Soyuz 11
  
• (*) Georgi Dobrovolsky: Soyuz 11
  
• Anatoli Filipchenko: Soyuz 7 and 16
  
• Pavel Popovich: Vostok 4 and Soyuz 14 (deceased)

posted 11-16-2017 11:36 PM               

I am quite familiar with the autographs of those who are more frequent on the market. Yeliseyev, Beregovoy, V. Volkov, Popovich, Filipchenko.