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

The advent of robotic and human spaceflight presented a new era of American history. Keeping with the tradition of honoring the country's history on U.S. postage stamps, the U.S. Post Office began commemorating the various events with its commemorative postage stamp issues. The first U.S. Postage issue to depict a U.S. space vehicle was issued in 1948, the Fort Bliss issue. The first issue to commemorate a space project by name was the ECHO I communications satellite commemorative issue of 1960. Next was the Project Mercury issue of 1962. As U.S. space exploration progressed a variety of other commemorative issues followed, many of which bear accurate depictions of satellites, space capsules, Apollo Lunar Modules, space suits, and other items of interest.Scotts Specialized Catalogue of United States Stamps

The history of space exploration is a nationally popular topic, as evidenced by record numbers of First-Day covers for postage stamps with space themes. The Project Mercury issue of 1962 had more than three million 'First Day of Issue' cancellations, while the average number of First-Day cancels for other commemorative issues at that time was around half a million. In 1969, the Apollo VIII issue received 900,000 First-Day cancels while others received less than half this amount.Scott's, USA. - First Day Covers index As the advent of U.S. space exploration grew, so did the topic of space exploration on stamps.

Fort Bliss 100th Anniversary Issue of 1948

Fort Bliss has a long and diverse history and functioned in many capacities over the years. By February 1946, over 100 Operation Paperclip scientists had arrived from Nazi Germany to develop rockets and were attached to the Office of the Chief of Ordnance Corps, Research and Development Service, Suboffice (Rocket), headed by Major James P. Hamill.McGovern, J (1964). Crossbow and Overcast. New York: W. Morrow. pp. 209–210,233,246.

This stamp was issued on the 100th anniversary of Fort Bliss in El Paso, Texas, in its honor. Third Assistant Postmaster General Joseph L. Lawler dedicated the stamp in El Paso on November 5, 1948.Smithsonian National Postal Museum The issue depicts what appears to be a rocket designed after the V-2 in the center, which technically makes it a "space stamp" in the Topographical world of philately.

Based on findings made by Dr. Robert Goddard following World War I, the Germans hit a peak production of V-2's during 1944 and 1945 at Peenemunde.White Sands Missile Range When they arrived in the United States, at Fort Bliss, they brought with them the knowledge of the V-2, and as such, the U.S. made arrangements with these scientists and employed their knowledge in developing rockets at Fort Bliss in Post War United States.https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/ww2/OperationPaperclip.html Operation Paper Clip, Jewish Virtual library It was this effort that led the way to the successful production of the great rockets that carried satellites and Astronauts into space.

The stamp's designer, Charles R. Chickering, intended the issue to salute the old as well as the new Fort Bliss and portray some of the highlights of the Fort's hundred-year history. Chickering, of the Bureau of Engraving and Printing, designed the stamp. C.A. Brooks engraved the vignette, and A.W. Christensen engraved the border, the lettering, and the numerals. The quantity issued was 64,561,000.Scotts Specialized Catalogue of United States Stamps:Quantities Issued

Project ECHO I, Issue of 1960

Following the failure of the Delta rocket carrying Echo 1 on May 13, 1960, Echo 1A (commonly referred to as just Echo 1) was successfully put into a 944 to 1,048 mi orbit on August 12, 1960, by NASA. The 100 ft. diameter balloon was made of ultra thin (0.0050 in) metalized Mylar polyester film and was successfully used to reflect transcontinental and intercontinental telephone, radio, and television signals. The satellite also aided in the calculation of atmospheric density and solar pressure due to its large area-to-mass ratio.

Because its shiny surface the large balloon-like satellite was also reflective of visible light rays, Echo 1A was visible to the naked eye over most of the Earth. Echo 1 was a passive communications satellite: it functioned as a reflector, not a transmitter. After it was placed in a low Earth orbit (LEO), a signal would be transmitted from Earth to the Echo satellite and then reflected or bounced off its surface, and then returned to Earth. It was the pioneer of communications satellites. Because it was brighter than most stars, it was seen by more people than any other man-made object in space at that time. Upon reentry into Earth's atmosphere ECHO 1A burned up on May 24, 1968.NASA.gov NASA – A Brief History of Solar Sails

This was the first 'Space Stamp' with an actual subject of a real space vessel, unlike the generic or symbolic rocket depicted in the Fort Bliss issue of 1948. The U.S. Post Office issued this 4-cent Echo I "Communications for Peace" commemorative stamp through the Washington, D.C., post office on December 15, 1960. The stamp was produced and issued to honor the world's first communications satellite. Designed by Ervine Metzl, the stamp was printed by the rotary process, electric-eye perforated, and issued in panes of fifty stamps each. Quantities issued totaled more than 120 million.

Project Mercury Issue of 1962

Project Mercury was the first human spaceflight program of the United States. It ran from 1959 through 1963 with the goal of putting a human in orbit around the Earth. The Mercury-Atlas 6 flight on February 20, 1962, was the first Mercury flight to achieve this goal.NASA.gov NASA -Project Mercury

The Post Office Department honored this first orbital flight of a United States astronaut on February 20, 1962, when it released the Project Mercury commemorative stamp, placed on sale throughout the country at the exact hour Colonel John Glenn's historic flight officially had returned to Earth safely.

The 4-cent stamp features an image of the Mercury Friendship 7 capsule circling the Earth, against a field of stars. The spacecraft is now housed at the National Air and Space Museum, Washington, DC. Because the event was deemed so popular the number of quantities issued totaled more than 289 million, more than twice the average amount of quantities issued for commemorative postage issues of that time.

This issue has somewhat of an unusual history. It was one of the first issues printed on the new Giori Press (named after its inventor, Gualtiero Giori). It employed a series of specially cut rubber rollers that applied two or three different colored inks on the same printing plate. As the new press was being used to print the Project Mercury stamp before the mission took place and in case the mission failed or was canceled, the Bureau of Engraving and Printing kept word about the new press and the stamp issue's production a secret. To further assure that the project be kept secret the designer of this issue, Charles R. Chickering, worked from his home and simply claimed that he was away on vacation. The stamps, waiting at post offices around the U.S., were sealed and marked "Top Secret". Only after Glenn's trip were the postmasters allowed to open the package and see what was inside.

Robert H. Goddard Issue of 1964

Robert Hutchings Goddard (October 5, 1882 – August 10, 1945) is widely recognized as the "father of rocketry," as he pioneered the modern propulsion rocket based on his knowledge of math, engineering and physics. His accomplishments included creating the first rocket propelled using liquid fuel and developing the first rocket to use internal vanes for guidance. He launched his first rocket in March 1926."Goddard". Astronautix.com. http://www.astronautix.com/lvs/goddard.htm. Goddard continued to achieve many firsts in the field of rocketry with funding from institutions such as the Smithsonian. In 1919, the Smithsonian Institution published Robert Goddard's groundbreaking work, A Method of Reaching Extreme Altitudes.Smithsonian Institution Archives – http://siarchives.si.edu/history/exhibits/documents/goddard.htm Other than from sources like the Smithsonian, Goddard received little public support for his research during his lifetime. He was the first to recognize the scientific potential of liquid fuel rockets in space travel and was instrumental in bringing about the design and construction of those rockets needed to implement those ideas.

Though his work in the field was revolutionary, he was sometimes ridiculed by the public and in the press for his theories concerning spaceflight and therefore became protective of his privacy and his research work. Years after his death, as crewed spaceflight finally became a reality, Goddard at long last came to be recognized as the man who pioneered modern rocketry and ultimately space exploration.NASA Archives – http://www.hq.nasa.gov/office/pao/History/SP-4201/ch1-3.htm

On October 5, 1964, the U.S. Post Office issued a postage stamp commemorating Robert Goddard. The stamp depicts an image of Goddard next to a rocket launching from the Kennedy Space Center. The Post Office released the stamp issues at a ceremony held in New Mexico. Goddard's wife, Esther Goddard, attended the ceremony. She was given the honor of pressing the button launching two rockets, one of which flew some mile and a half into the air. The two rockets each carried 1,000 first day covers, and after parachuting to the ground were recovered with the first day covers later sold to collectors. Designed by Robert J. Jones and printed on the Giori press, the quantities for this issue totaled more than 62 million.

Accomplishments in Space Commemorative Issue of 1967

Gemini IV was a June 1965 crewed space flight in NASA's Gemini program. It was the second crewed Gemini flight, the tenth crewed American flight and the 18th spaceflight of all time (includes X-15 flights over ). It was crewed by James McDivitt and Ed White.

The highlight of the mission was the first space walk by an American, during which White remained tethered outside the spacecraft for 22 minutes. Tied to a tether, White fired his oxygen-powered "zip gun" and floated out of the capsule. He traveled fifteen feet (five meters) out, and began to experiment with maneuvering. He found it easy, especially the pitch and yaw, although he thought the roll would use too much fuel.Oral History Transcript / James A. McDivitt / Interviewed by Doug Ward / Elk Lake, Michigan – 29 June 1999

Two 5-cent se-tenant stamps comprise one illustration of an astronaut during a spacewalk, honoring the space accomplishments of the United States. These issues were first placed on sale on September 29, 1967, at Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

The offset press and intaglio press were combined to produce this issue in sheets bearing one horizontal plate number. Offset printed the red stripes in the flags on the astronaut's spacesuit and capsule and light blue sky areas, as well as the inscription on the astronaut stamp. The Giori press printed dark blue sky areas, the aqua earth, and black tones on the capsule and astronaut. The inscription on the spaceship stamp was white.

This issue was designed by Paul Calle of Stamford, Connecticut, who based his design from photos taken on the Gemini IV mission.Fox, Margalit. "Paul Calle, Postage Stamp Designer, Is Dead at 82", The New York Times, December 31, 2010. Accessed December 31, 2010. The issue was printed by the Bureau of Engraving and Printing. It was issued in panes of fifty, with an initial printing of 120 million.

Apollo 8 Issue of 1969