Soyuz TM-29

Launch & orbit data: Designation  25632 / 99007A Launch date - time  20 Feb 1999 - 04:18:01 UT Launch site  Baikonur, LC1 Launch vehicle  Soyuz 11A511U OKB name - S/Nº  Soyuz 7K-STM (11F732) s/nº 78 Mass (kg)   Flight Crew  Afanasyev, Viktor (CDR) Haignére, Jean-Pierre (FE) Bella, Ivan (CR) Call Sign  Derbent Backup crew  Scharipow S., Deshays, Fulier Earth orbit on :    - Perigee / Apogee   km    - Inclination  °    - Period   min Undocking date - time  27 Aug 1999 - 21:17 UT

Docking & landing data: Docking date - time  22 Feb 1999 - 05:36:16 UT Target spacecraft/port  Mir/fore Undocking date - time  27 Aug 1999 - 21:17:01 UT Deorbit burn date - time  27 Aug 1999 - 23:43:26 UT Landing date - time  28 Aug 1999 - 00:34:20 UT Landing location   Flight Duration (d:hr:min)  188d 20h 17m Nbr orbits   Landing crew  Afanasyev, Haignére, Avdeyev  (crew TM-29 & TM-28)

Launch Crew (EO-27):

Mission details:

• Soyuz TM-29 was launched at 0418 UTC on Feb 20. The Soyuz-U (11A511U) launch vehicle placed spacecraft 7K-STM No. 78 (Soyuz TM-29) in orbit nine minutes later.
• Soyuz TM-29 docked with Mir on February 22, 1999 at 05:36 GMT. Since two crew seats had been sold (to Slovakia and France), Afansyev was the only Russian cosmonaut aboard. This meant that Russian engineer Avdeyev already aboard Mir, would have to accept a double-length assignment. After the February 27 departure of EO-26 crew commander Padalka and Slovak cosmonaut Bella aboard Soyuz TM-28, the new EO-27 Mir crew consisted of Afanasyev as Commander, Avdeyev as Engineer and French cosmonaut Haignere.
• The Progress M-42 cargo ship was launched Jul 16, 1999. It is bringing supplies to the crew of the Mir complex. Progress M-42 docked with the Kvant port at 17:53 UTC on Jul 18. Progress M-41 undocked at 11:20 UTC on Jul 17 and was deorbited over the Pacific later the same day.
• Viktor Afanasyev and Sergey Avdeyev made a spacewalk on Jul 23 at 11:06 UTC for 6 h 7min. They installed a new antenna but failed to deploy it. Jean-Pierre Haignere remained inside Mir during the EVA.
• The spacewalk on Jul 28 started at 09:37 UTC and lasted 5h 22min. During the second spacewalk, Afanasyev and Avdeyev erected an experimental 6-meter antenna. At the end of the experiment the antenna was jettisoned.
• Following an extended mission and three space walks, the last operational crew aboard Mir prepared to return. The station was powered down and prepared for free drift mode. The hatch between Mir and Soyuz was closed for the last time at 18:12 GMT on August 27, 1999. Soyuz TM-29 undocked from Mir at 21:17 GMT with Afanasyev, Avdeyev and Haignere aboard. The Mir EO-27 crew landed in Kazakhstan at 00:35 GMT on August 28. Afanasyev had set a new cumulative time in space record, but for the first time since September 1989 there were no humans in space. The only crew that might return to Mir would be one to deorbit it, and beyond that budgets indicated that no more than one Soyuz crew per year could be sent to the International Space Station.

Astrophilately covers:

Mil. launch cancel: 20021999 and special Baikonur cancel, send registrated.

Space Mail: Cover with 2 black Mir boardcancel, docking date boardcancel: 220299 and undocking Soyuz TM-28 boardcancel: 280299, signed by the crew on board.

EVA cancel Korolev: 230799. Credit: J. Vd Dr.

Landing cancel Korolev. Credit: J. Vd Dr.