Space News
space history and artifacts articles

Messages
space history discussion forums

Sightings
worldwide astronaut appearances

Resources
selected space history documents

  collectSPACE: Messages
  Stamps & Covers
  Space Cover 689: Bion-10

Post New Topic  Post A Reply
profile | register | preferences | faq | search

next newest topic | next oldest topic
Author Topic:   Space Cover 689: Bion-10
Antoni RIGO
Member

Posts: 265
From: Palma de Mallorca, Is. Baleares - SPAIN
Registered: Aug 2013

posted 02-12-2023 09:53 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for Antoni RIGO   Click Here to Email Antoni RIGO     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Space Cover of the Week, Week 689 (February 5, 2023)

Space Cover 689: Bion-10

Thirty years ago an international programme led by IBMP (Institute of BioMedical Problems) in Moscow took place with international participation.

BION-10, formerly Kosmos 2229, that generic Soviet programme that served for everything, was developed by several participants: Russia, several ESA countries (Austria, France, Germany and Netherlands) and other countries as Canada, China, Czecholosvaquia, Lithuania, Ukraine, USA and Uzbekistan.

Soyuz-U rocket was launched from Plesetsk cosmodrome on Dec 29, 1992 and after 11,6 days in Earth orbit, capsule BION-10 landed safely on plains of Kazakhstan on Jan 10, 1993.

BION-10 capsule carried many different biological experiments: two rhesus monkeys (named Krosh and Ivasha), newts, frog eggs and tadpoles, fruit flies, desert beetles, silk moth caterpillars, plants, seeds, seedlings, algae, and mammalian cell and tissue cultures.

However, the most important for astrophilatelic collectors is that BION-10 also carried covers to space as pictured above.

Postal stationaries, issued in 1991 depicting a Resurs-F satellite, were postmarked at Plesetsk on Dec 12, 1992 when they were packed and delivered to engineers to be placed inside the capsule BION-10. All exemplars bear a round violet and an octagonal violet seal. Additionally, were overprinted in black with text referring BION-10, vertically numbered and quoting total edition (only 100 units).

Each postal stationary was accompanied with its correspondent and numbered certificate signed by A. Soldatenkov, vice-president of CSDB (Central Specialised Design Bureau).

Finally, as a curiosity, Krosh and Ivasha survived to Earth return.

micropooz
Member

Posts: 1669
From: Washington, DC, USA
Registered: Apr 2003

posted 02-13-2023 05:34 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for micropooz   Click Here to Email micropooz     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Great article Antoni! And something I never knew about (or paid much attention to back then).

So, this looks to be a modified Vostok. But the engineering geek in me is curious to know what the pointy gizmo (that's an engineering term...lol) was on the front of the re-entry module? Any ideas?

Antoni RIGO
Member

Posts: 265
From: Palma de Mallorca, Is. Baleares - SPAIN
Registered: Aug 2013

posted 02-26-2023 04:17 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for Antoni RIGO   Click Here to Email Antoni RIGO     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Sorry Dennis. I have not answers to your questions. Maybe another people in cS can provide some comments.

Ken Havekotte
Member

Posts: 3584
From: Merritt Island, Florida, Brevard
Registered: Mar 2001

posted 02-27-2023 05:50 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for Ken Havekotte   Click Here to Email Ken Havekotte     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Wow, I had forgotten that Russia's SCDB flew 100 postal covers on the year-long international Bion-10 bioscience spaceflight mission in 1992-93. A great flown space cover find, Antoni!

But for Dennis, I don't think this cachet depiction of Bion-10's payload is correct as there wasn't a "pointed gizmo" at the top of the re-entry module from what I understand. This is more likely an early artist impression of the Bion satellite series, but isn't a completely accurate portrayal, as most all of the flown Bion payloads were quite similar with no large spike above the battery pack module.

The re-entry module, seen in the middle of the cover's spacecraft depiction where the monkeys and bioscience experiments were located, had a circular flattened battery pack (at both ends) attached to it at top, but it wasn't at all pointed.

Below the re-entry module was the service module, which can be seen in this depiction of a Bion spacecraft at top right. The battery pack module section on Bion-10 helped to shield the re-entry capsule against space radiation.

All times are CT (US)

next newest topic | next oldest topic

Administrative Options: Close Topic | Archive/Move | Delete Topic
Post New Topic  Post A Reply
Hop to:

Contact Us | The Source for Space History & Artifacts

Copyright 2023 collectSPACE.com All rights reserved.


Ultimate Bulletin Board 5.47a





advertisement