What stamp was dedicated on the 5th of November 1948 in El Paso Texas?

The U.S. Post Office dedicated a new stamp marking the 100th anniversary of Fort Bliss on the 5th of November 1948. This issue depicted a rocket designed after the German V-2 and over 64 million copies were printed by the Bureau of Engraving and Printing.

Who designed the Project Mercury commemorative stamp released on the 20th of February 1962?

Charles R. Chickering designed the Project Mercury commemorative stamp while working from his home under the guise of vacation. The Post Office Department released the 4-cent stamp at that exact hour when Colonel John Glenn returned safely to Earth after his historic orbital flight.

What date was the Robert Hutchings Goddard stamp issued in New Mexico?

The U.S. Post Office issued a stamp commemorating Robert Hutchings Goddard on the 5th of October 1964 during a ceremony held in New Mexico. Esther Goddard attended the event and pressed the button launching two small rockets each carrying 1,000 first day covers for recovery.

Which Apollo 8 stamp appeared on the 9th of September 1969 showing Neil Armstrong taking his first step?

A separate First Man on the Moon stamp appeared the 9th of September 1969 showing Neil Armstrong taking his first step. Paul Calle designed this image while the original master die for that stamp actually flew to the Moon and back.

U.S. space exploration history on U.S. stamps

Q: When did the Echo 1 satellite burn up upon reentry into the atmosphere?

Echo 1 burned up upon reentry into the atmosphere on the 24th of May 1968. The U.S. Post Office issued a 4-cent stamp honoring this achievement on the 15th of December 1960 with more than 120 million copies produced using the rotary process.

Q: When did the two 5-cent se-tenant stamps honoring Ed White go on sale?

Two 5-cent se-tenant stamps honoring Ed White went on sale the 29th of September 1967. Paul Calle designed the issue based on actual photos taken during the mission where he floated fifteen feet outside the Gemini IV capsule during June 1965.

On the 5th of November 1948, Third Assistant Postmaster General Joseph L. Lawler dedicated a new stamp in El Paso, Texas. This issue marked the 100th anniversary of Fort Bliss and depicted a rocket designed after the German V-2. Over 64 million copies were printed by the Bureau of Engraving and Printing. The design came from Charles R. Chickering, who worked to honor both the old and new history of the military post. Behind this image lay a secret transfer of technology. By February 1946, more than 100 Operation Paperclip scientists had arrived from Nazi Germany. They brought knowledge of the V-2 rocket to the United States Army at Fort Bliss. Major James P. Hamill headed the suboffice that managed their work. These experts helped develop rockets for the U.S. government during the post-war era. Their arrival transformed American rocketry capabilities significantly.

A 100-foot diameter balloon named Echo 1 floated into orbit on the 12th of August 1960. It was made of ultra-thin metalized Mylar polyester film only 0.0050 inches thick. This passive satellite reflected transcontinental telephone, radio, and television signals back to Earth. The U.S. Post Office issued a 4-cent stamp honoring this achievement on the 15th of December 1960. Ervine Metzl designed the stamp which featured the actual subject of a real space vessel. More than 120 million copies were produced using the rotary process. Unlike the generic rocket in the 1948 Fort Bliss issue, this design showed a specific spacecraft. Echo 1 remained visible to the naked eye over most of the Earth due to its shiny surface. It burned up upon reentry into the atmosphere on the 24th of May 1968. The satellite served as a pioneer for all future communications satellites.

Colonel John Glenn returned safely to Earth on the 20th of February 1962 after his historic orbital flight. The Post Office Department released the Project Mercury commemorative stamp at that exact hour. The 4-cent stamp featured an image of the Mercury Friendship 7 capsule circling the Earth against stars. Charles R. Chickering designed the issue while working from his home under the guise of vacation. Production details were kept secret until after the mission succeeded. The Bureau of Engraving and Printing used the new Giori Press to print the stamps. This press employed specially cut rubber rollers to apply multiple colors simultaneously. Over 289 million copies were issued, more than twice the average amount for other issues. First Day covers for this stamp exceeded three million cancellations. The secrecy surrounding the project ensured public surprise when the stamp finally appeared in post offices.

Robert Hutchings Goddard launched his first liquid-fuel rocket in March 1926. He died on the 10th of August 1945 before seeing crewed spaceflight become reality. On the 5th of October 1964, the U.S. Post Office issued a stamp commemorating him. Esther Goddard attended the ceremony held in New Mexico and pressed the button launching two small rockets. Each rocket carried 1,000 first day covers that parachuted to the ground for recovery. Robert J. Jones designed the stamp which depicted Goddard next to a rocket launching from Kennedy Space Center. More than 62 million copies were printed using the Giori press. Public ridicule had once greeted his theories about space travel. Years later, he received recognition as the father of modern rocketry. His work included developing internal vanes for guidance systems. The Smithsonian Institution published his groundbreaking 1919 work titled A Method of Reaching Extreme Altitudes.

Ed White floated fifteen feet outside the Gemini IV capsule during June 1965. He remained tethered to the spacecraft for 22 minutes while firing an oxygen-powered zip gun. Two 5-cent se-tenant stamps honored this event when they went on sale the 29th of September 1967. Paul Calle designed the issue based on actual photos taken during the mission. The Bureau of Engraving and Printing combined offset and intaglio presses to create the final image. Initial printing reached 120 million copies distributed in panes of fifty. The design showed an astronaut performing a spacewalk with red stripes on the spacesuit flag. Dark blue sky areas and aqua earth tones came from the Giori press. James McDivitt commanded the mission alongside White. This was the tenth crewed American flight and the 18th spaceflight overall. The stamps captured the difficulty of maneuvering in zero gravity.

William Anders took a photograph called Earthrise from orbit around the Moon on the 24th of December 1968. Apollo 8 became the first human mission to leave Earth orbit and escape its gravitational field. The U.S. Post Office released an Apollo 8 stamp on the 5th of May 1969 in Houston, Texas. Leonard E. Buckley designed the issue using the Earthrise photo and verses read from Genesis by the crew. Frank Borman, James Lovell, and William Anders were the three men aboard. They wished everyone a Merry Christmas while reading biblical creation stories. More than 187 million copies were printed on the multi-color Giori Press. Neil Armstrong took man's first step on the Moon on the 20th of July 1969. A separate First Man on the Moon stamp appeared the 9th of September 1969. Paul Calle designed this image showing Armstrong taking his first step. The original master die for that stamp actually flew to the Moon and back.

Pioneer 10 launched in March 1972 to gather data about Jupiter. It was the fastest object ever sent into space from Earth at that time. The Pioneer commemorative stamp went on sale the 28th of February 1975 in Mountain View, California. Robert T. McCall designed both the Pioneer and Mariner 10 stamps issued that year. Mariner 10 launched in November 1973 to explore Venus and Mercury orbits. Its first images of Venus reached NASA scientists in February 1974. These photos revealed dense cloud cover and helped determine rotation periods. The Mariner 10 stamp appeared the 4th of April 1975 in Pasadena, California. Roy Gjertson designed it while sharing design elements with the Pioneer issue. Viking I landed on Mars on the 20th of July 1976. A 15-cent stamp honoring the Viking missions released the 20th of July 1978 in Hampton, Virginia. This issue depicted the lander collecting soil samples from the Martian surface.

The Space Shuttle Endeavour liftoff occurred the 21st of June 1993 during Mission STS-57. A 1995 stamp depicted this famous launch using an actual photograph from a NASA mission for the first time. Phil Jordan designed the stamp which featured elliptical perforations as a security measure against counterfeiting. Ashton-Potter manufactured the sheets using offset and intaglio processes. Another 1995 stamp honored the Challenger space shuttle with microtype inscribed into the design matrix. This text blended secretly into the visual pattern to satisfy security concerns. The Banknote Corporation of America printed the 1998 Express Mail stamp featuring the Piggyback design. These issues marked a transition to advanced printing techniques. The Post Office used real photography instead of illustrations based on photos starting in 1995. First day ceremonies took place in Anaheim, California and New York City. Over 15 million Mars Pathfinder stamps were printed after the Sojourner rover landed on the 4th of July 1997.

U.S. space exploration history on U.S. stamps.

The First Communications Satellite

Secrets Of Mercury And Glenn

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Goddard And Liquid Fuel

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Earthrise And The Moon Landing

Robotic Probes To Mars And Venus

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