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Author
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Topic: Collecting Soyuz crews' zero-g indicator toys
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Robert Pearlman
Editor Posts: 49215
From: Houston, TX
Registered: Nov 1999
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posted 04-08-2018 03:15 PM
   
Since Anton Shkaplerov launched a red "Angry Bird" as his Soyuz TMA-22 zero-g indicator in 2011, I have been casually collecting the toys chosen by Soyuz crews as talismans. Some of the toys are impossible to collect because they were made specifically for the crew (for example, the Sputnik model that Energia made out of Buran space shuttle metal for the Soyuz MS-06 crew). Others are hard to identify, given a lack of clear imagery or because they are generic dolls. So far I have been able to find five of the toys: - Soyuz TMA-22: Angry Bird (Anton Shkaplerov)
- Soyuz TMA-17M: R2-D2 (Kjell Lindgren)
- Soyuz TMA-20M: pink owl (Aleksey Ovchinin)
- Soyuz MS-01: Rilakkuma bear (Takuya Onishi)
- Soyuz MS-08: Zabivaka, 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia mascot (Oleg Artemyev)
I have limited my collection to only those toys that are identical to the ones flown, so only those that were commercial products before they were chosen to fly. Part of the challenge is matching photos of the zero-g indicators to the various similar toys on the market.Are there others who are collecting the zero-g indicator toys?  |
Philip
Member Posts: 6178
From: Brussels, Belgium
Registered: Jan 2001
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posted 04-09-2018 08:00 AM
Nice bunch of toys! |
SkyMan1958
Member Posts: 1237
From: CA.
Registered: Jan 2011
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posted 04-09-2018 06:02 PM
Fun!!! |
David C
Member Posts: 1367
From: Lausanne
Registered: Apr 2012
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posted 04-09-2018 06:31 PM
Neat idea. |
Hart Sastrowardoyo
Member Posts: 3458
From: Toms River, NJ
Registered: Aug 2000
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posted 04-09-2018 09:47 PM
You haven't been able to find an Olaf? |
Robert Pearlman
Editor Posts: 49215
From: Houston, TX
Registered: Nov 1999
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posted 04-09-2018 10:21 PM
I have periodically looked for a match to the specific Olaf toy that Anton Shkaplerov flew, but have yet to find it. |
MrSpace86
Member Posts: 1618
From: Gardner, KS
Registered: Feb 2003
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posted 04-09-2018 11:04 PM
Don't forget Smokey Bear. |
Tallpaul
Member Posts: 212
From: Rocky Point, NY, USA
Registered: Feb 2012
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posted 04-10-2018 09:31 AM
I have in my collection a gravity indicating toy monkey that was flown on Soyuz TM-16 and that later spent time on MIR. Its provenance is from Alexander Poleschuk and includes photos of him holding and signing the monkey plus a letter written in Cyrillic and a translation of the letter. The one thing that I do not have is a photo of the monkey "in situ" in the Soyuz. That would be icing on the cake. It is the most unique item in my collection and I am thrilled to be its custodian. I purchased it at a Regency auction a number of years ago. I would greatly appreciate it if someone in the cS community could direct me to a place where I might find a photo of the monkey "in situ." |
Robert Pearlman
Editor Posts: 49215
From: Houston, TX
Registered: Nov 1999
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posted 06-06-2018 11:50 AM
With the launch of Soyuz MS-09 today, I thought I'd share an update. I've picked up a few replica zero-g indicators since first posting in April: - Soyuz TMA-04M: Smokey Bear (Joe Acaba)
- Soyuz TMA-11M: 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics mascots (hare, polar bear and leopard)
- Soyuz TMA-13M: Giraffiti (Reid Wiseman)
- Soyuz MS-05: Spangle the Bear (Randy Bresnik)
Sergey Prokopyev on Soyuz MS-09 used the same toy as Oleg Artemyev did on Soyuz MS-08, Zabivaka, the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia mascot. |
neo1022
Member Posts: 320
From: Santa Monica, CA
Registered: Jun 2013
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posted 06-06-2018 12:13 PM
Pretty sure that Olaf "toy" is a Christmas ornament... |
cspg
Member Posts: 6326
From: Geneva, Switzerland
Registered: May 2006
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posted 06-07-2018 02:27 AM
I have Angry Bird- love this one! |
Robert Pearlman
Editor Posts: 49215
From: Houston, TX
Registered: Nov 1999
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posted 06-07-2018 04:05 AM
On June 1, International Children's Day, Oleg Artemyev, shared a photo of the toys gathered on the space station: |
Robert Pearlman
Editor Posts: 49215
From: Houston, TX
Registered: Nov 1999
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posted 10-17-2018 10:04 AM
A new addition, the Soyuz MS-10 falcon that flew as Nick Hague's zero-g indicator. 
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Robert Pearlman
Editor Posts: 49215
From: Houston, TX
Registered: Nov 1999
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posted 11-22-2021 10:54 AM
The upcoming Soyuz MS-20 mission will use a Star Wars "The Mandalorian" character as its zero-g indicator. From TASS (machine translated): The Soyuz MS-20 weightlessness indicator will be the Grogu figurine from the "Mandalorian" TV series from the Star Wars universe, known as Baby Yoda. This was announced by Roscosmos cosmonaut Alexander Misurkin, who will become the first special correspondent for TASS on the International Space Station (ISS)."Today I want to introduce our zero gravity indicator. And this is the familiar and beloved baby Grogu," Misurkin wrote on VKontakte . According to the cosmonaut-correspondent, in this hero "strength is combined with wisdom", he "behaves very modestly and devotes himself to the creation of good." This, Misurkin emphasized, fully meets the vital values of the crew. The astronaut accompanied the publication with a photograph of the zero gravity indicator, which he will take with him into orbit.  The small toy appears to be a match for one of the Grogu figurines in Habro's "The Bounty Collection."  |
Robert Pearlman
Editor Posts: 49215
From: Houston, TX
Registered: Nov 1999
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posted 09-21-2022 09:32 PM
The Soyuz MS-22 zero-g indicator was a plush doll of the character Cheburashka. 
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