Poljot Space 1994-1996

MIR 16/Soyuz TM-19

This series of chronographs commemorates the 15th, 16th, and 17th resident crews of the MIR space station between 1994 and 1996. The crews consist of cosmonauts, engineers and doctors who are transported up to carry out all kinds of space related experiments. The Soyuz spacecraft is what transports them up to the space station and back down to earth, and it is powered by the Soyuz rocket.

The MIR space station can accomondate more than one Soyuz spacecraft, therefore crews can be exchanged without having to returned to earth first. Crew members can also remain onboard the space station and return on future Soyuz return flights. This was the case with Dr. Valeri Polyakov, who was a crew member for the three consecutive terms commemorated by this series of chronographs, and as a result still holds the record for the longest spaceflight in history. His name is stamped on all three case backs.

The other two cosmonauts associated with the MIR's 16th resident crew are commander Juri Iwanowitsch Malenchenko, and flight engineer Talgat Musabayev of Kazakhstan. Both rocketed up to MIR on what is referred to as the Soyuz TM-19 mission launched on July 1, 1994. They successfully returned to earth on November 4th, 1994; leaving Dr. Polyakov for one more term with the new crew members.

Medallion and stamped case back

I believe this to be an original produced in 1995. It still has the "SU" on the chrono-bridge stamp as well as all golden coloured chrono-wheels. The case is titanium and the case back is stainless steel.

Malenchenko and Musabayev

Walkaround before lift-off of Soyuz
TM-19.

This could morph into a Ukrainian 3133 eBay auction if I'm not careful...

Soyuz TM-19 and MIR 16 patches

Note the Kazakhstan flag adjacent the Russian flag at top.