# ma258 1973 American ASTP cover flown on ISS

American ASTP cover issued in 1973 and cancelled in Houston March 15, 1973.Cover issued for visit of Soviet cosmonauts Shatalov and Yeliseyev with 39 members delegation for meeting on the planned joint US-Soviet space flight.Cover depicts American astronaut Tom Stafford talking with Shatalov and Yeliseyev in Johnson Space Center.Cover brought from this meeting back to Moscow by Vladimir Shatalov.He signed cover as well. This cover was taken on board of Soyuz TMA-2 by ISS-7 Russia-USA expedition commander cosmonaut Yuri Malenchenko and flown 184 days on station.Cover signed also by Malenchenko and cancelled on orbit with 3 onboard handstamps:small round stamp of ISS-7 expedition, main stamp of Russian section of the ISS and large round ISS stamp dated 28 April, 2003 (first day aboard station after docking Soyuz TMA-2-ISS). It was symbolic to carry in this joint Russia-USA flight materials related to first international flight and docking of Soviet Soyuz with American Apollo. To and from station cover flown with crew aboard Russian Soyuz TMA-2 ship.