Gherman Alexeyvich Komlev (Russian, 1933 - 2000) "'Return to Earth" Original Watercolor painting on Illustration Board. Provenance: Collection of James A. Helzer (1946-2008), Founder of Unicover Corporation. This painting was originally published on the Fleetwood First Day Cover for the U.S.S.R. 32K Return to Earth stamp issued March 24, 1978. On March 10, 1978, everything was ready to meet and greet the international crew upon its return to Earth. Airplanes and helicopters filled the air. Then, Soyuz 28 entered the atmosphere. Inside, cosmonauts Gubarev and Remek felt the g-load increase. At the mission control center, the descent trajectory of Soyuz 28 showed clearly on the central screen. The dot on the screen stopped suddenly as the vehicle began descending by parachute. The helicopters watched as the descent module made a soft landing on Soviet soil about 310 kilometers west of Tselinograd. Cosmonaut Remek was first to leave the capsule, and he was instantly embraced by friends. A few moments later, veteran cosmonaut Gubarev exited to similar exultation. Soviet scientists were especially jubilant over the success of the Soyuz 28 docking, for some experts had predicted that having both Soyuz 27 and Soyuz 28 docked to the Salyut 6 would result in a "whip" effect that would cause dynamic over-stressing of the entire complex. But their fears proved wrong, and the existence of two docking units at the station was an important step forward in speace technology. Said United States astronaut Eugene Sernan, "The Russians have entered the era of shuttle flights. They can replace crews on board a station as if they were on watch. This is a remarkable achievement. The Russians should be congratulated." Image Size: 7.75 x 9.25 in. Overall Size: 10.25 x 13.25 in. Unframed. (B05909) See More