1981 Mongolian People’s Republic & USSR “Soyuz-39” Joint Space Flight Badge – Interkosmos, Original Issue

Description

Original Item – Only One Available. An original 1981 Soviet-Mongolian Joint Space Flight commemorative badge, issued in connection with the historic Soyuz-39 Interkosmos mission that carried Mongolia’s first cosmonaut into orbit. On 22 March 1981, Mongolian cosmonaut Jügderdemidiin Gürragchaa and Soviet commander Vladimir Dzhanibekov launched aboard Soyuz-39 from Baikonur and docked with the Salyut-6 orbital station the following day. The mission lasted until 30 March and included an extensive program of scientific experiments in space physics, technology, Earth observation and biomedical research. Mongolia thereby became the 10th country in the world to send one of its citizens into space, while Gürragchaa became the second Asian to travel into space. The flight was conducted within the Soviet-led Interkosmos program, making it one of the most celebrated symbols of Mongolian-Soviet scientific and political cooperation during the late Cold War.

The badge is a substantial circular construction finished in silver-colored metal with deep turquoise-blue and pale-blue enamel. Its central design depicts a stylized space launch vehicle, prominently marked with a red Soviet star, while the lower section incorporates the national colors of the two participating states. Across the center appears “ЗСБНХУ – БНМАУ”: ЗСБНХУ is the Mongolian abbreviation for the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, while БНМАУ identifies the Mongolian People’s Republic. Concentric enamel borders give the badge a clean, almost technical appearance characteristic of space-age commemorative design. The reverse is plain and retains its original horizontal pin fastening, with natural surface wear appropriate to an original period example. 

For the specialist collector, this badge has a particularly strong historical connection beyond ordinary Soviet space memorabilia. Together with its unmistakable bilateral inscriptions and Interkosmos-era space imagery, this makes the design an excellent physical reminder of the mission that placed Mongolia among the earliest nations represented in human spaceflight. For collections centered on Soyuz-39, Interkosmos, Soviet space exploration, Mongolian aerospace history or USSR–MPR relations, this is an especially attractive original period badge.