posted 07-26-2024 01:28 PM               

The Texas state flag was flown aboard TM-30 to Mir (also known as Mir EO-28; April 4, 2000 thru June 16, 2000). This was the 39th and final human spaceflight to the Russian Mir space station before the station was deorbited on March 23, 2001. TM-30 was the first privately-funded spaceflight to a space station; funded by MirCorp to repair and reactivate the Mir space station (lack of follow-on investment funding resulted in the station deorbit approximately 9 months later).

The TM-30 crew was Sergei Zalyotin and Aleksandr Kaleri, and both have signed this flown flag, along with adding four onboard stamps from the Mir station on April 6, 2000. Kaleri also added a handwritten notation on the bottom of the flag: “Flown on Soyuz TM-30/MIR” with a second signature.

The cloth flag is 4 1/4 x 5 7/8 inches with stitching around the perimeter. This is one of the final documented items to survive the Mir station and a nice historical item. This flag was purchased from Florian Noller in 2001.

The U.S. flag was flown aboard TM-32 (April 28, 2001 to ISS) and is signed by Talgat Musabayev and Yuri Baturin. This was also the flight that carried the first space tourist Dennis Tito to the ISS. The flag was returned to Earth on the TM-31 vehicle with Talgat, Yuri and Dennis on May 6, 2001.

This cloth flag is larger than usual, 6 x 9 inches. This flag was purchased from Alex Panchenko in late 2001 or early 2002.

The Texas flag is $875, the U.S. flag is $350, or you can purchase both for $1000.

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