NASA. Superb photograph of the space shuttle ATLANTIS (Missi - Lot 205

NASA. Superb photograph of the space shuttle ATLANTIS (Mission STS-71) marking the 100th human flight in the history of the conquest of space on June 27, 1995. This flight was also historic, as it marked the first docking of the American space shuttle with the former Soviet space station MIR, which post-Communist Russia was unable to retain. The superb architecture of the MIR space station made world news when it fell to Earth in March 2001. This tragedy marked the definitive retreat of Russia's power in space: after pioneering the space race after the Second World War, the country entered the 21st century with a dramatic downturn in its overall ability to access and master space. Vintage chromogenic print on "Kodak Professional" paper. NASA logo and typed caption on back. 25 x 20.5cm with margins.