Orbit issue 100 (January 2014) by kiwi36

ORBIT

Editorial

ISSN 0953 1599 THE JOURNAL OF THE ASTRO SPACE STAMP SOCIETY

What’s Up Doc ?

Issue No 100 January 2014 Patron:

In the middle of 2013 I wrote an article about the Twelfth Century astronomer, physician and polymath Moses Maimonides for the Judaica website. This article was seen by Dr Stuart Menzies, editor of Meditheme, the journal for collectors of medicine on stamps who asked if he could reprint it. I then offered him some other articles about doctors I had written for Scottish Stamp News and recalled writing about Doctors in Space in Orbit, many years ago. I said I would be happy to refresh that article and write a new one about NASA doctors on stamps and the first part of that article which appeared in the November 2013 issue of Meditheme features in full later in this edition.

Cosmonaut Georgi Grechko, Hero of the Soviet Union

COMMITTEE Chairman Ian Ridpath, 48 Otho Court, Brentford, Middlesex, TW8 8PY (E-mail : ian@ianridpath.com) Chairman Emeritus : Margaret Morris, 30 Hilltree Court, Fenwick Rd, Giffnock, Glasgow G46 6AA (E-mail: m382morris@btinternet.com)

Hon. Secretary: Brian J.Lockyer, 21, Exford Close,Weston-Super-Mare, Somerset BS23 4RE (E-mail : b.lockyer365@btinternet.com)

Hon .Treasurer:

In concluding the layout of this 100th edition I thought I’d rerun for nostalgic reasons the first article of any note I wrote for Orbit. By total coincidence I discovered it was that very Doctors in Space article, which appeared in edition #31 in November 1996 the first two pages of which appear (with enhanced images) on p 4/5 of this issue. So by pure chance the earliest and the latest articles I have written for Orbit are very closely related.

Eve Archer, Glebe Cottage, Speymouth, Fochabers, Moray. Scotland IV32 7LE (E-mail: orbitmag@aol.com)

Orbit : Editor Jeff Dugdale, Glebe Cottage, Speymouth, Fochabers, Moray. Scotland IV32 7LE (E-mail: jefforbited@aol.com)

Webmaster Derek Clarke, 36 Cherryfield Road, Walkinstown, Dublin 12 (E-mail: dclarke36@gmail.com)

Postal Auction Organiser: David Saunders, 42 Burnet Road, Bradwell, Great Yarmouth. NR31 8SL. (E-mail davidsaunders1@hotmail.co.uk)

Overseas Representatives: Australia: Charles Bromser, 37 Bridport Street, Melbourne 3205. Belgium : Jűrgen P. Esders, Rue Paul Devigne 21-27, Boite 6, 1030 Bruxelles Eire:Derek Clarke, 36 Cherryfield Rd, Walkinstown. Dublin 12. France: Jean-Louis Lafon, 23 Rue de Mercantour, 78310 Maurepas Russia: Mikhail Vorobyov, 31-12 Krupskaya Str, Kostroma United States: Dr Ben Ramkissoon, Linda Valley Villa #236 11075 Benton Street Loma Linda CA 92354-3182

Life Members: UK - George Spiteri, Ian Ridpath, Margaret Morris, Michael Packham, Jillian Wood. Derek Clarke (Eire,) Charles Bromser (Australia.) Tom Baughn (U.S.A.,) Ross Smith (Australia,) Vincent Leung Wing Sing (Hong Kong.)

I very much appreciate the kind remarks about Orbit from Ian and Margaret on the opposite page and in turn I would like to thank both of them for their leadership. To have two such eminent figures at our helm brings great kudos to our Society. And of course thanks to you our readers and contributors for your efforts across the past 25 years in making Orbit what it is today. I must pay particular tribute to our late Treasurer Harvey Duncan, to Derek Clarke for the sterling work he has done and continues to do on our website and to my wife Eve for her amazing graphic skills in producing so many stunning covers. I trust together we shall continue to make our journal a shining beacon of thematic philately.

www.astrospacestampsociety.com

Copy Deadline for the March 2014 issue is February 14th by which time all material intended for publication should be with the Editor.

ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTION RATES Members in UK—£15 in Europe (EU and non-EU) - €30

Elsewhere - $45 equivalent Juniors (under 18) £6.50

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Ian and Margaret Toast our 100th edition !! A good magazine is the lifeblood of any society, particularly when its members are as widely flung as ours. Jeff Dugdale has built up our magazine, Orbit, into a lively and informative production, never missing an issue since he took over editing it in 1995. With each successive issue, my surprise increases at the wide range of topics our members find to write about with erudition. Simply scanning the illustrations is an education in itself. Who among us has not caught sight on its pages of something missing from their own collection? On taking over as editor, Jeff rapidly increased the number of pages (and hence his own workload!), as well as assembling occasional supplements on subjects such as Wernher von Braun, Women in Space, and Time and Space. In addition, he has himself been a regular contributor. At the same time, he has been able to keep down printing costs by using his contacts. Now he is taking us into the digital era with online editions as well as printed copies. Having edited magazines myself, I understand the time, effort and dedication that goes into such an achievement. I am happy to add my own warmest congratulations to Jeff on guiding Orbit to its landmark 100th issue. In the summer of next year he will have spent 20 years in the role – time for another celebration?

Our Society—25 years :100 editions One of our founding members, The Rev Tony Bird wrote a history of our Society for issue no 50 in June 2001 and of course you can read that article in full on our website, but this seems an opportune moment to summarise some of the highlights therein, writes your Editor. The ASSS was formed as a result of the response to a notice in STAMP Magazine in Britain in 1987 by Robin Cleeter to which Tony replied and in January of the following year it was launched with 36 members including Margaret Morris, Brian Lockyer (our present Secretary), Harvey Duncan, George Spiteri and from Europe, Jűrgen Esders and Bert van Eijck. Tony edited the early issues of Orbit (available on our website) using scissors and paste, typewriter and letraset technology. He noted that many would-be members had little idea of how to construct a collection and several articles of guidance on such matters appeared in those editions. Harvey began his famous checklists and David Saunders the Postal Auctions whilst Harvey also started up the Postal packet. Today with data instantly available via the internet, it is perhaps difficult to appreciate how time-consuming gathering information for the magazine was,- not to mention the time

Some organisations experience frequent changes in office bearers. Not so the Astro Space Stamp Society. The stability we enjoy has a number of advantages especially for the reputation of the Society, and it is a fact that the ASSS is highly thought of at home and abroad. For a group like ours with a scattered membership, the magazine is a vital link and its arrival eagerly awaited - not least by those people who are isloated or otherwise unable to enjoy contact with fellow Astro-Space collectors. We are particularly fortunate in having an Editor who has not only maintained but greatly enhanced the quality, content and appearance of ORBIT. It has always been a source of much useful information but there was a quantum leap when the magazine began to appear in colour. It is a good-looking, reliable product - but always remember that it does not just appear as if by magic. It involves a great deal of hard work and dedication. The latest development of scanning all back issues to disk is but a further example of this. Jeff Dugdale is a well educated and highly literate person with a lot of experience in writing for the philatelic press. He enjoys the expert support of his wife, Eve, but even when she was gravely ill a year or so ago, Jeff never failed to deliver on time. As a token of thanks for his dedication in reaching Issue No. 100, a presentation will be made to Jeff during the Annual Congress of the Association of Scottish Philatelic Societies at the Dewar's Centre, Perth, on Saturday 12 April 2014. The time of this little ceremony is likely to be 11.30 am but will be confirmed by an announcement on the PA system. An open invitation is hereby extended to all members of the ASSS who are likely to be attending Congress on that day to come along and express their appreciation to Jeff in person. required to type it out before technological versions of copy and paste were commonplace. With issue 21 of Orbit, the ASSS welcomed as its Patron the veteran cosmonaut Georgi Grechko., whom Tony and George Spiteri met in person when he visited Jodrell Bank. Tony concludes his article by saying “Much has changed since those days, not least the wonderful way in which Orbit has developed into the Award winning journal that it is today. Sitting in Robin’s lounge all those years ago we never dreamed that his seed of an idea would over the years grow (as it has)….and I’m thankful for that as we look ahead to the next 50 issues.” Well Tony—here we are and as current editor I look forward to the next. Wow, if we get to 150, I’ll be…..well work it out for yourselves !!

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Modest Success for a First Attempt at a Competitive Exhibit John Hayward’s paper which includes many examples of good and bad practice does stress the paramount importance of the planning sheet which must be the first page of one’s competitive display and the example he provided (written by Wendy Buckle) is shown opposite.

Having been an enthusiastic philatelic writer with articles on a variety of topics published in several journals other than Orbit since 1997, and happy to show what I have at societies across Scotland, I had always avoided even thinking about exhibiting competitively. That is until recently and now I think I’ve caught the bug, writes your Editor.

Critique

What had until then put me off particularly with reference to my space material was the very restrictive F.I.P. rules re astrophilatelic competitive exhibiting which insist that no material may be used unless it has been produced on the day of the event it relates to and furthermore, for example, if the item is a cover it must have been cancelled at the post office nearest the event site. By definition this meant that most material in my collection (and probably yours) which is anniversary or simply celebratory cannot be considered. There are no doubt very sound reasons for these regulations but they annoyed and frustrated me.

On page 8 I have placed a copy of my planning sheet which as you’ll see closely follows the model provided and opposite it I include a copy of the marks sheet which came back with my returned exhibit and a reduced sample page from the exhibit which used postmark data from an Orbit article. On the marks sheet I think the comments of most use to me with a view to improving this display for another competition are : “too much info without philatelic back up” “some initials defeated me TM = taxi mission” etc “could not find the meaning of STS” and “Your title is The International Space Station but page 1 is headed Unsung Success” “Not necessary to have a space cover on every page...need to tell a story” etc.

Then in October of last year I entered a display for the British Thematic Association’s Fosbery Trophy in a meet held at Perth. This is a “no rules” one frame (16 sheets) competition and because of that I liked it and tidied up a display which was forming in my extensive thematic History of Great Britain on British stamps display on The Vikings.

Improvements

Having enjoyed that experience, my appetite had been whetted and I set out to discover what might be involved in putting together a two frame display for the British Thematic Association Cup which was to be judged in at the South of England & Sussex Convention Ardingly, Sussex last October, but this time with an astrophilatelic topic—The International Space Station.

Beginnings

I have taken these comments on board and reduced the amount of info about individual flights on certain pages that perhaps did have too much when my display was put together for a stamp club night. Moreover I have explained what all the abbreviations mean (which no doubt I assumed incorrectly most people would know) and dropped some pages which showed covers in relation to some of the flights, replacing them with stamps that show cosmonaut training, Soyuz and the Shuttle and Departure and Landing.

Colleagues in the BTA pointed out a guide on how to do this on the BTA website—Thematic Exhibiting by John Hayward— which contains a lot of do’s and don'ts. I studied these carefully and tried to follow them to the letter, though was still amused by some of the rules alluded to there, not the least of these - given my intended topic—being

I thought the “Unsung Success” a good title linking the idea of the ISS being largely ignored these days to the then current media interest in Chris Hadfield’s cover of the Major Tom song, but clearly I need to include that idea in a more muted way. So for the next competition which is at the Association of Scottish Philatelic Societies show in the Spring I have taken out four or five pages from the original exhibition and included very detailed replacements showing cosmonaut training and departure and landing. Unfortunately none of these stamps were issued in relation to the ISS but mainly come from the Soviet issues for flights to Mir in the Intercosmos series over ten years earlier. I expect to receive criticism for this but there is not much in the way of such stamps which tell the story - and in doing so I am using “earlier material” !!.

“5.4 Period of Time. The period of time covered by the theme should be from as wide a period as possible, which may be difficult for some modern themes. Recent items should be included but whenever possible it is recommended to show pre-World War II material. Do not show all recent material—there will be appropriate earlier material for your theme, it just needs looking for.”

Really ? I discussed with Brian Sole whose is a major thematic expert and leading light in the BTA and his reply encouraged me enough to proceed, really just to see what nonastrophilatelists would make of the material.

I’ll let you know how my second attempt fares. 6

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An Unsung Success The International Space Station

Plan

No of Pages

Introduction

Political background, tentative moves (1995)

Every day since late 2000 at least two international astronauts or cosmonauts have orbited 250 miles or so above the Earth in the International Space Station.

First building blocks arrive: Zarya, Unity, Zvezda (1998-2000)

Occupation and incremental growth : TM 31 and STS-97 (2000)

TM 32 : first “tourist” - Dennis Tito (2001)

TM 33 : first spationaute

TM 34 : first African—Mark Shuttleworth (2002)

STS-111, - 112 and—113

Repercussions of Columbia disaster: Soyuz ferry—the only lifeboat (2003-2006)

International issues celebrate progress

Normal service resumed: STS-121 and—115 (2006)

First female “tourist”

First Scandinavian in space

Charles Simonyi 1#

During that time crews containing men and women born in over 40 sovereign states, sometimes as many as a dozen strong, have worked in space, conducting medical, environmental and other science research projects and maintaining the station which has grown from two modules to its current twelve. This enormously expensive and prestigious venture funded largely by only five countries has however rarely been in the news, demonstrating how the extraordinary achievements of spaceflight have sadly become routine and unnewsworthy.

The press have been interested only when celebrity astronauts such as Microsoft’s Charles Simonyi or singer Sarah Brightman plan a rather expensive week’s distraction on the ISS. And bizarrely earlier this year when one of the official astronaut crew, Canadian Chris Hadfield placed a video of himself singing Space Oddity on You Tube which went viral. This display traces the growing pains of the space station from modest beginnings to its current and largely ignored grandeur. Thematic information commentary in italics.

plain

text

with

philatelic 6.

(2007)

Asiatic guest astronauts (2007-2009)

First second generation astronaut (2008)

Charles Simony 2# (2009)

Guy Laliberté

Completion and current status (2010-2013)

ISS Commander Chris Hadfield in a photo montage related to his viral You Tube video and as celebrated in a 2003 Canadian issue for all its then flown astronauts.

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ORBIT 100: A Personal View On Astrophilately, Present And Past Bert at an exhibition, “somewhere in Europe” circa 1988

Bert van Eijck who to date has written 178 articles for our journal, beginning with the I.A.F. Congresses” in issue no 2, for May 1988 offers some thoughts on where our hobby is today. In your hand you hold the 100th edition of ORBIT, periodical of Astro Space Stamp Society. A true jubilee. Hallelujah! It took 25 years to achieve this milestone. I was with it from the beginning. Astrophilately worldwide after collecting classic philately from my country –The Netherlands – brought joy and happiness to my life. Meeting so many different collectors from all parts of the world, that makes (astro)philately, in my opinion, The Best Hobby on Earth!

before World War II, rose every year in price in catalogues and at auctions. The average collector could not complete his collection from lack of money. But there, of a sudden, was an alternative: thematics!

It is ironic that in my 75 years of age I visited 75 countries on four continents, mostly connected with astrophilatelic friends at space stamp exhibitions, space events, space museums or on voyages over land, in the air or at sea during cruises.

And how interesting these were. Not only space events, but all kinds of topics – sports, Olympics, flora and fauna, history of cars, trains, ships – you name it, and there were stamps for it. And these were cheap as well! So, an enormous stamp hype was born.

It all started more than 40 years ago with……… a broken shoulder in January 1970. A slippery street that winter caused a fall with a rather painful result and three months in plaster of Paris. Half a year before, July 1969, my son and I were up all night to watch the historic moon landing of Apollo XI, live on television, seeing Neil Armstrong descend on the surface of our nearest cosmic neighbour.

Times had changed. Postal Administrations saw commercial agencies earn a lot of money with these thematics. They changed their tactics. Suddenly it was not forbidden anymore to picture ‘living persons’ (other than royalty) on stamps as was common from the beginning of the stamp history in 1840 in ‘civilised countries.’

At that time Space – in particular the Apollo Project - was the hot item in every medium. Postal Administrations worldwide smelled money and issued pictorial stamps, sheets, blocks, covers, stationery (with imprinted stamp) and all kinds of cancellations. It was a hype! My son was the space collector in our home, but after my accident, tired from reading books, I joined him. So bad luck created for me, then and all these years later, a happy life. Astrophilately in my country was and still is, not easy. This kind of collecting was not accepted by for instance the mighty Dutch Aerophilatelic Club “De Vliegende Hollander” (The Flying Dutchman). Their collections existed of flown covers with special cancels. Aero-stamps were only permitted on such covers. Astrophilately? “Only pictures on stamps, mostly issued by nonspace related countries and never seen on really posted letters.” In fact, this was correct. African and South-American governments sold stamp-contracts to international operating design and print companies, mainly based in New York. They were given ‘carte-blanche’ to print in all quantities stamps from these countries and sell them worldwide. Ironically, these stamps never saw their ‘own’ country and even were not valid there. In that same decade of the ‘70’s there was another change and challenge in philately. Classic philately lost more and more to thematics. Classic stamps from most countries, especially from

This change of policy too gave a boost to thematic philately. In the ’80 and ‘90’s there were far more thematic than classic collectors worldwide. A decade later, around the Millennium, it all changed. Not only in the stamp business, but in society as a whole. New modern communications reigned and reigns the world. There came: computers, laptops, cell or mobile phones, iPads, tablets, cds, dvds, HD-television, playstations, digital games and much more. This meant: Death to most hobbies, like (astro)philately, especial for youngsters. By the way, are your kids or grandchildren stamp collectors? I doubt it very much, there are none or very few, may I say. Nowadays stamp collectors are old people, like myself, and most of you, members of Astro Space Stamp Society, I presume. Will (astro)philately die then? No, collectors will die of old age. But the hobby will survive for decades. How come? It is the “milch-cow phenomenon.” Postal Administrations do not need stamps anymore for postage. It is all digital at the post office these days. Nevertheless they do print a lot of new stamps every year, mostly thematics. They make a lot of money out of it. For creating and printing 1000 stamps the costs are …. 1 cent. But the value by stamp may vary from e.g. 60 cents (inland) to 675 cent (package). Collectors buy these stamps and put them in an album. No postal service is required. Cash for the Post. Such a ‘milch-cow’ makes millions every year. This cow will not be slaughtered!

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An Astronaut’s Tale I think that every child at some point or another looks up to the sky and wonders what it would be like to pilot an airplane, or, perhaps, even go to Space. I was one of those children, but, coming from a very humble economic background, I somehow thought that such things would always be far beyond my reach. Besides, I had lots of other interests while growing up. So, my path to Space was somewhat more sinuous than most. During my middle school and high school years, I developed a passion for motorcycling. As I was harboring a pretty strong dislike for school at the time, I was not considering college or any other sort of schooling after graduating from high school. Five weeks after said graduation, I began what was to be a series of long motorcycle trips, hitchhiking and train-hopping adventures, and odd jobs that would consume the next 2 ½ years of my life. During my travels, I developed a deep love for America and Americans (many was the time that I was bailed out of a tight spot due to the kindness of strangers). I eventually decided that I wanted to devote part of my life to serving her and them. Liking challenges and excitement, I felt that some military experience might be in order. Sometime during the spring of 1977 (I was now 20 years old), I spoke with my father about my plans. Between them, he and his brothers had served in the Army, the Navy, and the Air Force as enlisted men. Of all his brothers, he said that the one who had served in the Air Force always seemed to have the most interesting stories. Dad then asked me if I wanted to enlist in the military or be commissioned as an officer in same. Being ignorant regarding such things, I asked him what the difference was. “Well,” he said, “let me put it this way. In my day, when the enlisted guys were drinking beer, the officers were drinking Scotch.” So, I decided it would be cool to be an Air Force officer.

Duane “Digger” Carey, pilot of HST servicing mission STS–109/ Columbia in March 2002 writes exclusively for Orbit on his career and offers some thoughts about the future of space exploration….. At the time, I was working as bartender at a country club, the Minikahda Club, in Minneapolis, Minnesota. One of my fellow bartenders, a parttimer, had been an F-4 pilot during the Vietnam War. Being a motorcycle guy, I naturally thought that it may be fun to be a fighter pilot. I asked my friend what I needed to do to qualify for this. He told me that, first of all, I needed to be an officer. OK, I thought, no problem. Then, he told me something that sent me into a deep funk, one lasting several days. He said that, in order to be an officer, I'd first need a four-year college degree! Horrors! After a few days of pouting, however, I resigned myself to the unpleasant (for me) reality that I would have to go back to school to realize my dreams. Shortly after starting engineering school at the University of Minnesota, I read an article in Analog Science Fiction/ Science Fact (known today as Analog Science Fiction and Fact) magazine that detailed what it took to fly the Space Shuttle Orbiter safely home from Low Earth Orbit. That article really piqued my interest and I decided to set my sights a little higher. I now wanted to be a Shuttle pilot. This also raised the bar for my educational goals, as I saw that I

Your editor met Lt-Col Duane Carey when he was on a promotional tour around selected Scottish schools in 2006, and was in contact with him recently whilst researching the Doctors in Space feature to be found later in this issue. In the photo Duane is shown with NASA’s Dr Neal Pellis, then Chief Scientist Advanced Programs, SLS Directorate. See signed cover right.

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would most likely need a Master of Science in an engineering discipline to qualify for such a lofty position.

ASTEROIDS

Fast forward a few years and I was now attending United States Air Force Undergraduate Pilot Training at Laughlin Air Force Base in Texas. We were given a long weekend off from school during the summer of 1982. My wife and I decided to ride our motorcycle to Big Bend National Park in Texas for a few days of camping. As was my habit during those days, I'd usually try to read a bit in our tent, before dozing off, to the light of some candle lanterns I carried with me. Once again, I had a copy of Analog Science Fiction/Science Fact magazine with me. With my wife sleeping alongside me in her sleeping bag, I read a captivating article about NASA's plans to launch a space telescope. What a fascinating idea, I thought!

Some Bits and Pieces Spring STAMPEX 2014

The British Thematic Association, to which the ASSS is affiliated has been invited by the organisers of STAMPEX to provide a display at the above event to be held in the Business Design Centre, London from 19th to 22nd February to complement the pictorial classes exhibits. If any ASSS members would like to contribute a frame (16 related sheets) please let your editor know and he will put in touch with the BTA Coordinator. There are no rules and this could be a first step towards a member entering the Fosbery Trophy or simply to display some of their best material. (The Society will pay the display fee).

Quietly, so as not to disturb my slumbering spouse, I crept from the tent and gazed up at the vibrantly clear Texas night sky. The panoply of stars was incredible that night. I yearned that, someday, I might be involved in some grand undertaking that would increase our understanding of this wonderful universe.

Novice Success Participating in a “rules” competition for the first time, in the BTA Cup section held at the South of England Stamp Fair and Sussex Convention at Ardingley in October of 2013 your editor was delighted to receive a Large Silver (and 74 pts) for his two frame display on the International Space Station.

Twenty years later, I awoke one morning, turned my head to the left and gazed, reverently, upon the Hubble Space Telescope as it rested in the payload bay of my spaceship...proof that dreams do, indeed, come true! I'm often asked what I think the future of manned spaceflight is. I always warn my questioner that my answer is to be considered pure speculation, laced with a dose of experience and hope. I believe that the best thing we can do right now is to loose a horde of cheap robots and probes upon the Solar System. There is no doubt in my mind that we would discover something that would absolutely require investigation by human explorers. Then, we would put together an international team, one that looks much like the ISS team with the addition of China. I believe that the next bit push for manned spaceflight must be international. Each partner has something to bring to the table to solve what are sure to be the most difficult problems mankind has ever faced!

Scott Carpenter Passes M. Scott Carpenter the second American to orbit the earth (in April 1959) died on October 10th 2013 in his 89th year. Of the Original Mercury Seven only John Glenn now survives. Carpenter replaced Deke Slayton slated for the mission but who was withdrawn on medical grounds and was launched in Aurora 7 on 24th May 1962 on a five hour, three orbit

Pixar Sci-Fi Stamps Only just acquired for his collection on mail from Peter Hoffman are these two 2011 issues from the USA, part of a 5 stamps set devoted to Pixar films: see www.usap.pixar for full details. On the right of course heroic (?) space ranger Buzz Lightyear and left balloon aeronaut Carl Fredricksen and his talking canine companion, Dug, from the movie Up (2009).

flight, during which he helped to identify and explain the mysterious fireflies which Glenn had witnessed—as particles of frozen liquid. However his performance was criticised by Flight Director Chris Kraft: by the end of two orbits Carpenter had used more than half his fuel and re-entry mistakes contributed to the capsule overshooting the splash-down target by 250 miles so causing anxieties about the astronaut’s safety. Carpenter was not allocated any further flights, but went on to participate in the Navy's SEALAB program and spent the last part of his NASA career developing underwater training to help astronauts with future spacewalk missions.

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Tereshkova Celebrated in Japan Our Japan based member Haruki Ikuro reports that from 8th—10th November a space stamp exhibition was held to honour the 50th anniversary of Valentina Tereshkova’s space flight in the stamp museum in Tokyo. Forty frames (628 leaves) were on display from ten members of the J.P.S. Space Stamp Club covering the following astrophilatelic themes: Valentina Tereshkova, Meteorites, Female Astronauts, Space exploration, From the Earth to the Moon, Japanese Astronauts, and Constellations. A commemorative postmark and covers were specially prepared– as illustrated.

The exhibition cancel shown tying above Japanese issues from 2005 International Congress on World Space and below the 1992 International Space Year stamps showing left the ADEOS satellite and right the BS-3 broadcasting satellite and a putative space station.

Left photos by Haruki of some of the exhibits and right The Exhibition Welcome sign which used the Seagull symbol (Tereshkova’s call sign) as its logo

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First Simultaneous Spaceflights by USSR and USA One Week Before Christmas Although commonplace for many years thereafter the result of the launch of Soyuz 13 on December 18th 1973, produced the novel circumstance of spacecraft from the two former participants of the space race being in space at the same time.

Soviet rookie Commander Major Pyotyr Klimuk and Flight Engineer Valentine Lebedev joined the third crew of Skylab

astronauts (Skylab 4, also carrying the all rookie crew of Jerry Carr, Ed Gibson and Bill Pogue) some 30 days into an 84-day mission, but no contact was made between the two crews. Soyuz 13 was distinguished in other ways proving to be the second test flight of the redesigned Soyuz 7K-T spacecraft which made its debut as Soyuz 12. The spacecraft was specially modified to carry the Orion 2 Space Observatory, was the Soviet Union's first dedicated science mission, and the first mission controlled by the new Kaliningrad Mission Control Centre. None of the Americans flew again but Klimuk and Lebedev went on to become considerable veterans within the Soviet cosmonaut team, Klimuk flying on Soyuz 18 and 30 and Lebedev spending 211 days on Salyut 7.

Above Skylab 4 launch cover and right a Belarussian postcard with imprinted stamp celebrating the 25th anniversary of Klimukâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s flight on Soyuz 13

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The Illustrations of China’s AstronauticThemed Postmarks

An unusual micro-theme for us ?

by Ling Fugen Our China based member writes to inform members that he has compiled the above mentioned reference book which was published in August 2013. It lists all the astronautic postmarks issued in China up to the end of 2012. Every postmark is assigned a serial number and given general context. Ling thinks it’s quite a handy book for overseas friends who are interested in Chinese Astrophilatelic material. You can judge from yourself from the advertising puff below and see the cover of the book, and a sample inside page. It is expensive however at 60 €, plus 20 € postage.

“In this book, there is a vast collection of astronautic-

themed postmarks from all over China within the time period of 1958-2012. The 1500 plus listed postmarks are clearly presented with their issue date and place, size, design and theme. The overall category is region-based, while accompanied with a chronological category. Each of the postmarks is given with an only number to specify the issue date and place, which naturally benefits any future research work and exchanging and collecting needs. “The postmarks are a great proof of our space industry history, therefore a significant literature in astrophilately. It will act as an excellent reference book for fans and space workers”.

Spotted within a My Collection feature within the November 2013 issue of British glossy STAMP Magazine —“Deaf to the World” by American collector Kenneth Rothschild- was a connection in our field between Konstantin Tsiolokovsky (18571935) the great Russian space theorist and British Astronomer John Goodricke (1784-86) both of whom suffered from degrees of deafness. John Goodricke, named after his grandfather Sir John Goodricke was born in Groningen in the Netherlands, but lived most of his life in England. He became deaf in early childhood due to a severe illness. Of course, unlike Goodricke Tsiokovsky appears on dozens of stamps. He was born in Izhevskoye to a middle-class family. His father, Edward Tsiolkovsky was Polish. At the age of 9, Konstantin caught scarlet fever and became hard of hearing. When he was 13, his mother died. He was not admitted to elementary schools because of his hearing problem, so was self-taught. HIs deafnes may have contributed to his reclusive nature, as for mos tof his life he lived away from society. Is any member aware of others who could go into this group ?

Orbit on Display in Hungary Thanks to our member Nik Stegall, the photo below shows a copy of the back page of Orbit #98 which featured an article on the Hungarian Masat satellite, on show as part of an exhibition at the Corvin Centre in Budapest in Autumn 2013.

For further info and to place an order you can contact via his email address: ling_fg@163.com

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Reprinted with permission from the Apr-Aug 2012 issue of Se Tempe (South Africaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Post Office philatelic magazine) and thanks to a good friend of Orbit Eleanor Coker of Ashford in Kent for drawing your editorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s attention to the article.

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New Issue Guide Noted in STAMP Magazine (Feb 13—Jan 14)

Antigua & Barbuda (9.9.11) 50th anniv of J.F.K.'s inauguration Sheetlet of 4 x $2.75 showing Kennedy in various photographs at Cape Canaveral SG MS4355 - Scott 3151 - Michel 4930-4933. Antigua & Barbuda (9.9.11) 50th anniv of first manned spaceflight Sheetlet of 4 x $2.75 showing Gagarin (3) and Grissom (1) Sheetlet of 4 x $2.75 showing Gagarin (3) and Shepard (1) 2 different $6 souvenir sheets showing Gagarin SG MS4363-4336 - Scott 3157-3160 - Michel 4953-4960 + Block 688-689. Australia (25.8.09) IYA 55c sombrero galaxy M104, $1,35 reflection nebula M78 and $2.10 spiral galaxy M83 Souvenir sheet with the same 3 stamps. SG 3266-3268 + MS3269 - Scott 3415-3147 + 3147a - Michel 32693271 + Block 90. Canada (23.7.12) Signs of the Zodiac Self adhesive booklets containing 10 x 61c vals for Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio. MS also available containing all four. Second part of series: first issued in 2011. SG SB460-463 + MS2775 - Scott 2453a-2456a + 2446 - Michel MH 0 -441-444 + Block 161. Canada (20.2.13) Signs of the Zodiac Self adhesive booklets containing 10 x 61c vals for Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius, Pisces. MS available containing all four. Third part of series. SG 2770a-2773a + MS2776 - Scott 2457a-2460a + 2447 - Michel MH 0-467-470 + Block 169. MS also available containing the complete series (3 x 4). SG MS2776a - Scott 2448 - Michel 2735-2738 + 2865-2867 + 29343937 China (P.R.) (10.12.11) Armillary Spheres (joint issue with Denmark) 2 x 1.20y vals showing spheres by Tycho Brahe and by Guo Shoujing SG 5630-5631 - Scott 3980-3981 - Michel 4238-4329. Croatia 15.11.12 Christmas 3.10k val shows a falling star in the night sky. SG 1135 - Scott 857 - Michel 1064 Czech Republic (20.1.13) Tradition of Czech stamp design: Ivan Strnad 10kc val references part of Intersputnik stamp of 1974: nude woman holding letter “S”. SG 716 - Scott 3560 - Michel 754.

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Denmark (4.1.12) Armillary Spheres (joint issue with China) 2 x 6kr vals showing spheres by Tycho Brahe and by Guo Shoujing SG 1676-1676a - Scott 1576-1577 - Michel 1693-1694. Great Britain (16.10.12) Space Science 2 x 1st NVIs showing Sun particles being ejected, and Venus 2 x 77p showing Mars, and Asteroid Lutetia 2 x £1.28 showing Saturn, and Titan SG 3408-3413 - Scott 3113-3118 - Michel 3366-3371. Hungary (12.4.11) 50th anniv of First Manned Spaceflight 600Ft shows portion of front page of Hungarian newspaper from 1961 with photograph of the launch of Vostok. SG MS5294 - Scott 4196 - Michel Block 340. India (2.12.08) Centenary of the Discovery of the Evershed Effect 5r val shows sunspots on solar surface and diagram of spectral measurement. (Radial flow of gas across photospheric surface of penumbra of sunspots was named after British astronomer John Evershed) SG 2542 - Scott 2288 - Michel 2320. Isle of Man (2.10.12) Centenary of Scott's Polar Exhibition Border of sheetlet includes illustration of modern space station in context of science then and now. SG MS1781 - Scott 1527 - Michel Block 85. Isle of Man (4.7.13) 225th anniv of The Times newspaper 179p val quotes “Man lands on Moon” story Set is SG 1845-1850 - Scott 1589-1594 - Michel 1874-1879. Italy (11.4.12) 250th anniv of First Publication of Barbanera's Almanac 60c val shows Barbanera holding observing instruments...sun. moon, stars SG 3393 - Scott 3117 - Michel 3525. Japan (6.5.10) Greetings and Expo 2010 Shanghai. Hello Kitty ! 2 of ten 50 yen vals SG 4341-4346 - Scott 3231 Michel 5252-5257. Sheet contains 2 each of 4 different stamps (1 has Draco) + 1 each of 2 different stamps. Only Scott has a number for the sheetlet - SG and Michel just list numbers for the 6 different stamps. Latvia (23.8.12) Friedrich Zander (1887-1933) 60s val showing portrait of space flight theorist and rocket scientist, and some related rockets. SG 838 - Scott 812 - Michel 840. December GSM has an alternate spelling of his first name (Fridrikh) Nauru (12.4.11) Soviet Space Programme 2 x 60c showing Sputnik and Gagarin, $1,20-Nauru seen from space, $2.25 Vostok launch, $3-the ISS. SG 690-694 - Scott 598-602 - Michel 699-703.

Portugal (27.6.12) Solar Transit of Venus in 2012Past Observations 2€ value shows Father Teodoro de Alemeida (1772-1804) - priest, writer and philosopher and transit. 3€ val souvenir sheet shows diagram of Solar system indicating evolution of orbital position of Venus and Earth and Earth around the Sun 2004-2012. SG 3969 + MS3970 - Scott 320-3421 - Michel 3740 + Block 333. San Marino (13.6.12) First Year of San Marino TV broadcasts from satellite 4.95 € val shows satellite in orbit over Red Sea. SG MS2297 - Scott 1869 - Michel Block 61.

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South Georgia (6.6.13) Star Trails 4 vals from 65p-£1.20 showing various star trails from localised points in territory SG 582-585 - Scott 468-471 - Michel 586-589. Switzerland (8.5.09) Europa 2009 & IYA-The Asteroid Helvetia 113390 100c x 6 Diagram of the inner solar system date of issue with some planets and the asteroid marked. (Noctilucent ink on stamp glows briefly) SG 1809 - Scott 1345 - Michel 2101. F.S.A.T (T.A.A.F.) (9.6.12) Polar research collaboration with CNES 3 of 5 values show satellite photos of parts of territory. Strip of 5 stamps - SG 677a Scott 468 - Michel 782-786. Turks & Caicos (23.9.08) 50 years of Space Exploration, and ISS 4 x $1 and MS ($6) showing varying views of ISS in space Turks & Caicos (12.7.12) 50th anniv of John Glenn's flight 4 x $1.25 vals + MS ($6) shows various aspects of flight SG 1895-1898 + MS1899 + Scott 1490-1491- Michel 1877-1880 + Block 237. United States (1.10.12) Earthscapes “Forever” (45c) x 15 Photos all taken from aerial and satellites SG 5323a - Scott 4710 - Michel 4883-4897. Vanuatu (31.10.12) Partial Solar eclipse on 14.11.12 4 vals with sky scenes and a sequential diagram of the eclipse showing the Moon passing in front of Sun. SG 1137-1140 - Scott (not yet listed)- Michel 1482-1485.

Many thanks to Peter Hoffman for checking and adding to data and for his meticulous provision of various catalogue numbers. 20

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Doctor n Space Although for obvious reasons astronauts and cosmonauts (at least in the early decades of manned spaceflight) were amongst the fittest people in the world, their bodies were being exposed to both known and unknown risks and on a regular basis it was thought necessary to have on board a highly trained medical person to monitor body measurements, symptoms of Space Motion Sickness from which many astronauts suffered and to cope with very rare emergency health situations. When a doctor was not on the crew sending the regularly sampled data by telemetry to medical personnel in the launch centres would have been of limited usefulness to individuals’ health. Doctors were regularly included in shuttle crews, but rarely only as medical men or women and were required to complete a full programme of other activities. Researching the background of several shuttle doctors you’ll find that a medical degree was not infrequently a second or third one, being added to a first qualification, say, in astrophysics or chemistry or engineering. A number of astronaut candidates appear to have realised that such additionality in their skills profile was a very valuable asset in influencing selection preference. Although almost all shuttle astronauts can be found on at least one stamp thanks to the massive Malawi issue of 2010 just a very few space doctors merit a stamp to themselves. After the first proving flights of the shuttle, the first American doctor to fly into space via a shuttle was Story Musgrave (b.1935) who first flew on STS-6/ Challenger in April 1983 would go on to become one of the most experienced astronauts being launched six times in 13 years up to 1996. In the NASA crew photo used for this stamp Musgrave is standing back right. The following quotation from his NASA bio reveals the polymath nature of his academic achievement: Story Musgrave received a BS degree in mathematics and statistics from Syracuse University in 1958, an MBA degree in operations analysis and computer programming from the University of California, Los Angeles in 1959, a BA degree in chemistry from Marietta College in 1960, an M.D. degree from Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons in 1964, an MS in physiology and biophysics from the University of Kentucky in 1966 and a MA in literature from the University of Houston–Clear Lake in 1987.

The next flight of the shuttle STS-7/Challenger in June 1983 also contained a doctor who would go on to be one of the most experienced of all astronauts—Norman Thagard (b.1943). As the following summary indicates his academic background was similar to Musgrave’s:

1965: Received a bachelor of science degree in engineering science from Florida State University. 1966: Received a master of science degree in engineering science from Florida State University Performed pre-med course work at Florida State University. 1977: Received a doctor of medicine degree from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School at Dallas.

Thagard, pictured second from the right in this stamp, flew a further four times and had the distinction of being the first NASA astronaut to launch in a Russian ferry, Soyuz TM-21 which transported him to the Mir Space station. He returned to Earth on Shuttle STS-71 in July 1995. The following shuttle, STS-8 / Challenger launch at the end of August 1983 also carried a doctor in Bill Thornton, (b. 1929) who at the age of 54 was to hold the record of the oldest person to go into space until John Glenn’s second flight sixteen years later. In the Malawi stamp he is standing back right. His Wikipedia entry tells us, “Thornton was a member of the astronaut support crew for the Skylab 2, 3, and 4 missions, and principal investigator for Skylab experiments on mass measurement, anthropometric measurements, haemodynamics, and human fluid shifts and physical conditioning. He first documented the shift and loss of fluid changes in body posture size and shape, including increase in height and the rapid loss of muscle strength and mass in space flight”….and…. “During Space Shuttle operations he continued physiological investigations in the cardiovascular and musculoskeletal and neurological areas. He developed the Shuttle treadmill for in-flight exercise and several other on-board devices. He was long an advocate for exercise as a countermeasure for conditions such as bone loss in space. His work concentrated on the space adaptation syndrome, with relevant investigations on STS-4, STS-5, STS-6, STS-7, and STS-8…… “During his first shuttle flight Thornton made almost continuous measurements and investigations of adaptation of the human body to weightlessness, especially of the nervous system and of the space adaptation syndrome” and relating to his second flight ….

“STS-51B/Spacelab-3 Challenger (launched April 29, 1985) during which 7-day flight, Thornton was responsible for the first animal payload in manned flight and other medical investigations”.

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STS-51A / Discovery carried the first female medic into orbit in November 1984 in Anna Fisher (b.1949) married to astronaut medic William Fisher—see below. Fisher graduated B.Sc Chemistry in 1971 at UCLA then started graduate school in chemistry in the field of x-ray crystallographic studies of metallocarbonanes. The following year she moved to the UCLA medical school and received her doctor of Medicine degree in 1976. She did an internship at Harbor General Hospital in Torrance, California, in 1977. She chose to specialize in emergency medicine and worked in several hospitals in the Los Angeles area.

The next shuttle to carry a doctor STS-51D/Discovery did not launch for some months, in fact until April 1985 and this one saw the second flight of a female medic in Rhea Seddon (b.1947) making the first of three flights, her later missions being STS-40 and STS-58. After medical school, Dr. Seddon completed a surgical internship and three years of a general surgery residency in Memphis with a particular interest in nutrition in surgery patients. Between the period of her internship and residency, she served as an Emergency Department physician at a number of hospitals in Mississippi and Tennessee, and served in this capacity in the Houston area in her spare time. Dr. Seddon has also performed clinical research into the effects of radiation therapy on nutrition in cancer patients.

During her final flight STS58/ Challenger in Dr. Seddon (second right in front row) was the Payload Commander on this life science research mission which received NASA management recognition as the most successful and efficient Spacelab flown to date. During the fourteen day flight the seven-person crew performed neurovestibular, cardiovascular, cardiopulmonary, metabolic, and musculoskeletal medical experiments on themselves and 48 rats, expanding our knowledge of human and animal physiology both on earth and in space flight. (This flight also carried an astronaut veterinary surgeon: see below). Later on in 1985 STS-51I/ Discovery carried a new doctor into space in William Fisher (b.1946) (second from left in crew photo). Fisher received a Bachelor of Arts in Biological Sciences from Stanford University in 1968 then in the follow three years he performed graduate work in

Microbiology at the University of Florida, In 1975 he Received a Doctorate in Medicine from the University of Florida and 19751977: Residency in General Surgery from UCLA Medical Center.

Getting back to normal flight status after the Challenger disaster meant that for some time there were spaces on shuttle flights for smaller crews of career astronauts only but in due course NASA risked bigger crews and these eventually again included medics. The first doctor to fly after the suspension of shuttle flights was James Bagian (b.1952) on STS 29/Discovery in March 1989 and this was a very important mission as on it Bagian became the first person to treat Space Motion Sickness with Phenergan via intramuscular injection, which is now a routine practice. Bagian worked as a process engineer for the 3M Company in Bristol, Pennsylvania, in 1973, and later as a mechanical engineer at the U.S. Naval Air Test Center at Patuxent River, Maryland, from 1976 to 1978, and at the same time, pursued studies for his medical degree. Upon graduating from Thomas Jefferson University in 1977, Bagian completed one year of general surgery residency with the Geisinger Medical Center in Danville, Pennsylvania. He subsequently went to work as a flight surgeon and research medical officer at the Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center in 1978, while concurrently completing studies at the USAF Flight Surgeons School and USAF School of Aerospace Medicine in San Antonio, Texas. He was completing a residency in anaesthesiology at the University of Pennsylvania when notified of his selection by NASA for the astronaut candidate program.

Bagian also flew on STS-40/Columbia in June 1991, the first “Spacelab” dedicated space and life sciences mission. In a nine-day mission crew members performed experiments which explored how the heart, blood vessels, lungs, kidneys, and hormonesecreting glands respond to microgravity, the causes of space sickness and changes in muscles, bones, and cells which occur in humans during space flight. Other payloads included experiments designed to investigate materials science, plant biology and cosmic radiation.

The next flight to carry a rookie doctor was STS-34/Atlantis of October 1989 which carried on its crew Ellen Shulman Baker (b.1953), the first of the few doctors to merit a stamp to herself—this 1994 issue from Azerbaijan! Dr Baker also flew two further missions—STS-50 and STS-71 (shown left). After completing medical school, Baker trained in internal medicine at the University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, Texas. In 1981, after three years of training, she was certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine. And later that year, following her parents, Baker joined NASA as a medical officer at the Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center. That same year, she graduated from the Air Force Aerospace Medicine Course at Brooks Air Force Base, San Antonio, Texas. Prior to her selection as an astronaut candidate she served as a physician in the Flight Medicine Clinic at the Johnson Space Center. Selected by NASA in May 1984, Baker became an astronaut in June 1985.

2 MD on Board Again STS-33/Discovery, launched in November 1989 was the second (after STS-51B) to carry two doctors on board in Story Musgrave and Manley “Sonny” Carter (1947-1991) shown standing back left in the crew photo used in this stamp. In 1974 Carter entered the U.S. Navy and completed flight surgeon school in Pensacola, Florida. After serving tours in this role with the 1st and 3rd Marine Aircraft Wings, he returned to flight training at Beeville, Texas, and was designated a Naval Aviator on April 28, 1978. He was assigned as the senior medical officer of the USS Forrestal. Selected by NASA in May 1984, Dr. Carter became an astronaut in June 1985, qualified for assignment as a mission specialist on future Space Shuttle flight crews.

At the time of his death in April 1991 in a domestic plane crash, Carter has been assigned as a mission specialist on the crew of STS-42, the first International Microgravity Laboratory (IML-1).

Gaffney graduated from Carlsbad, New Mexico High School in 1964; received a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of California, Berkeley in 1968; and a Doctor of Medicine degree, University of New Mexico in 1972. He has over 50 publications in the areas of cardiovascular regulation and space physiology. A Colonel in the Texas Air National Guard, Gaffney served as a Flight Surgeon for the 147th Fighter Interceptor Group at Ellington Air National Guard Base, Houston, Texas. Gaffney's 15 years of experience in cardiac research and operation of equipment such as echocardiograms and rebreathing devices led to his being selected as a payload specialist

The mission patch shown on the indicia of this launch cover makes reference to its medical remit. The shuttle’s flight path traces a double-helix, designed to represent the DNA molecule and Leonardo’s figure of Vitruvian man links the study of earth and the heavens. The next flight to carry a rookie doctor was also notable for a first as that medic was the first “woman of colour” admitted to the NASA astronaut Corps—Mae Jemison (b. 1946) who flew on STS-47/Endeavour in September 1992 in the new role of Science Mission Specialist as part of the Spacelab-J (for Japanese) mission which included 20 life science experiments. Jemison obtained her Doctor of Medicine degree in 1981 from Cornell Medical College (now Weill Medical College of Cornell University) She interned at Los Angeles County-USC Medical Center and later worked as a general practitioner. During medical school Jemison travelled to Cuba, Kenya and Thailand, to provide primary medical care to people living there.

Dr. Jemison had been famously inspired by America’s first woman in space Sally Ride and by the character of Lt Uhuru played by Nicelle Nicholls in Star Trek. (She would go on to play a bit part in an episode of the sci-fi TV series).

3 MD on Board The Space Life Sciences Mission STS-40 / Columbia, the fifth Spacelab mission was remarkable in that it was dedicated to biology, was the first to carry three female crew members and the first to include in its crew of seven three doctors, Rhea Seddon, James Bagian and rookie medic Drew Gaffney (b.1946) shown standing back left in the crew photo.

STS 55/ Columbia Spacelab D-2 in April 1993 carried the first African American male doctor in Bernard A. Harris Jr (b.1956) who also became the first such astronaut to perform a spacewalk. Harris also took part in the STS-63 “Near-Mir” mission in February 1995. At that time Mir was carrying the phenomenally long-stay doctor cosmonaut Valery Poliakov, whose career is to be treated in a further article and the Shuttle crew conversed excitedly with the Russians whom they 23

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could see just over a 100 metres away. Harris graduated from Sam Houston High School in San Antonio, Texas, in 1974, then received a B.S. degree in biology from University of Houston in 1978. He earned his MD degree from Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center School of Medicine in 1982. Harris completed a residency in internal medicine at the Mayo Clinic in 1985. He also trained as a flight surgeon at the Aerospace School of Medicine at Brooks Air Force Base in San Antonio in 1988. Dr. Harris received a master's degree in biomedical science from The University of Texas Medical Branch in 1996

Vet in Space STS 58/Columbia, launching in October 1993 was unique in that it carried a further rookie doctor astronaut and the first veterinary surgeon in David Wolf (b.1956) and Martin Fettman (b. 1956) respectively. Wolf flew on a further three missions including one long stay spell on Mir: STS86, -112 (2002) (second left now with grey hair) and –127 (2009), but Fettman did not go into space again. In the STS-58 crew photo Wolf is standing back centre with Fettman on his left. Wolf graduated from North Central High School then went on to earn a degree in electrical engineering from Purdue University, where he graduated with distinction. In 1982, he earned a medical degree from Indiana University School of Medicine and subsequently trained as a flight surgeon with the USAF. He joined the staff of Johnson Space Center in 1983 and investigated the physiological effects of microgravity. Fettman received a bachelor of science degree in animal nutrition from Cornell University in 1976 then in 1980 a doctor of veterinary medicine degree and master of science degree in nutrition from Cornell University In 1982 he received a doctor of philosophy degree in physiology from Colorado State University and two years later he gained board certification in veterinary clinical pathology. He is a Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Pathologists.

of Asclepius shown opposite the veterinary caduceus and shuttle surrounded by the DNA double helix. The hexagonal shape of the patch depicts the carbon ring, a molecule common to all living organisms. September 1994 saw the first flight of a doctor astronaut who would become one of the most experienced of all American spacefarers—Jerry Linenger (b.1955) who was part of the crew of STS-64/Discovery. He also flew on STS-81 to spend an extended stay (20 weeks) on Mir, returning to earth in STS-84. In the earlier crew photo he is standing centre in the back row and in the later in the back row second from the right Linenger received a Bachelor of Science degree in bioscience from the United States Naval Academy in 1977, a doctorate in medicine from Wayne State University School of Medicine in 1981, a Master of Science degree in systems management from the University of Southern California in 1988, a Master of Public Health degree in health policy from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1989 and a Doctor of Philosophy degree in epidemiology from the University of North Carolina in 1989.

During his spell on Mir he acted as chief scientist to conduct the entire U.S. science programme, consisting of over one-hundred planned experiments in various disciplines. (In the launch crew photo STS-81 he is shown in the back row second from right). A sampling includes: medicine (humoral immunity, sleep monitoring, radiation dosimetry), physiology (spatial orientation/performance changes during long duration flight), epidemiology (microbial surface sampling), metallurgy (determination of metal diffusion coefficients), oceanography/ geology/limnology/physical science (photographic survey (over 10,000 photos) of the Earth), space science (flame propagation), microgravity science (behaviour of fluids, critical angle determination). Scott Parazynski, (b. 1961, shown back left in crew photo) another astronaut doctor who would become very experienced in space first flew on STS-66 / Atlantis, which carried as its primary payload the Atmospheric Laboratory for Applications and Sciences – 3 (ATLAS-03) .

The mission patch for this mission shown on the launch and landing cover below recognises both medical men with the Staff 24

Parazynski’s third mission STS -95/Discovery in late October 1998 drew a great deal of international attention as it saw the return to flight of America’s first man in orbit—John Glenn at the age of 77. Glenn thus became the oldest person, to date, to go into space.

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The mission's objectives involved investigating life-sciences experiments, using the SpaceHab to perform these experiments on Senator Glenn. Scientific objectives on this mission were not limited to furthering an understanding of the human body, but also to increase astronomical understanding with regards to the Sun, and how it affects life on Earth.

doctor making his only flight Charles Brady (1951-2006) and the second vet in space in Richard Linnehan. Brady is shown back second right in the crew photo and Linnehan back second from the left. Brady studied pre-med at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, graduating in 1971 then received his medical degree from Duke University in 1975. From Duke, he went on to the University of Tennessee Medical Center in Knoxville for his internship. In 1978 he worked as the team physician in sports medicine for Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa. He continued in sports medicine and family practice for the next seven years, working as a team physician at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and East Carolina University in Greenville, North Carolina. He joined the U.S. Navy in 1986, receiving training as a flight surgeon and joined the astronaut programme in 1992

A veteran of five Space Shuttle flights and seven spacewalks, Parazynski's final mission was STS-120 in October, 2007 --highlighted by a dramatic, unplanned EVA to repair a live solar array. He retired from NASA in March 2009 to pursue opportunities in the private sector. He is the only person to have both flown in space and summited Mount Everest, the highest point on Earth. Parazynski received a Bachelor of science degree in biology from Stanford University in 1983, continuing on to graduate with honours from Stanford Medical School in 1989. He served his medical internship at the Brigham and Women's Hospital of Harvard Medical School (1990). He had completed 22 months of a residency programme in emergency medicine in Denver, Colorado when selected for the NASA Astronaut Corps.

The next rookie doctor in space was Daniel Barry (b.1953, shown extreme right of crew photo) whose maiden flight STS72 in January 1996 was on the newest shuttle Endeavour. He also flew on STS-96 and STS-105 Barry attended the University of Miami Medical School, graduating in 1982. He completed an internship and a Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation residency at the University of Michigan in 1985. He was appointed as an assistant professor in the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation and in the Bioengineering Program at the University of Michigan in 1985. He spent the summers of 1985–87 at the Marine Biological Laboratory in Woods Hole, Massachusetts, supported by the Grass Foundation for work in skeletal muscle physiology and as the Associate Director of the Grass Foundation Fellowship Program (1986–87). His research primarily involves biological signal processing, including signal processing theory, algorithms, and applications to specific biological systems. The applications include acoustic signals generated by contracting skeletal muscle, electrical signals from muscle, and heart sounds. He has also worked in prosthetic design. Barry’s work has been supported by the National Institutes of Health, the National Science Foundation, the Grass Foundation, and the American Heart Association of Michigan.

His death was the result of suicide. At the time, many reports stated that he had died after a lengthy illness (severe pain and paralysis from his rheumatoid arthritis), while other sources speculated that Brady's decision to take his own life might have been brought on by his chronic pain and diminished mobility. Linnehan graduated from the University of New Hampshire with a bachelor of science degree in Animal Sciences and a minor in Microbiology in 1980 and five years later received the degree of Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from The Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine In 1988 he completed two year internship in exotic animal medicine and comparative pathology at the Baltimore Zoo and the Johns Hopkins University

Linnehan flew a further three missions: -90, -109 and-123. STS-90/ Columbia in April 1993 also saw the only flight of a new doctor in Jay Buckey, (b.1956 shown standing extreme right In crew photo). The two week mission provided the crew with the opportunity to focus on the most complex and least understood part of the human body—the Nervous system, during the Neurolab mission, where experiments were carried out in the facility housed in the orbiter’s payload bay. During the mission crew members served as both experimental subjects and operators working with a wide array of biomedical instrumentation. Also carried were biota in the form of rats, mice, fish, snails and crickets. Buckey holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering from Cornell University (1977) and an M.D. from Cornell in 1981, interning at New York Hospital-Cornell Medical Center and completing his residence at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center. Currently, Buckey is a Professor of Medicine at Dartmouth Medical School. He was also a flight surgeon with the U.S. Air Force Reserve for 8 years.

Buckey briefly ran for the Democratic nomination to challenge New Hampshire Senator John E. Sununu, a first term Republican, when he was up for re-election in 2008. Buckey withdrew from the race when former Governor Jeanne In June 1996, STS-78/Columbia carrying the international Shaheen entered the race. Life and Microgravity Spacelab also took into space rookie 25

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In April 2002 STS-110/Atlantis carried rookie doctor Lee Morin (b. 1952) into space (in crew photo standing back extreme right) Morin received a master of science degree in biochemistry from New York University in 1978 and three years later a doctorate of medicine degree from New York University School of Medicine then in 1982 a doctorate of microbiology degree from New York University. In 1988 he gained a Master of Public Health degree from the University of Alabama at Birmingham

Two MD killed in Columbia Tragedy The break up of STS-107/Columbia in February 2003 in high altitude, returning from a 16-day mission carrying the SPACEHAB Double Research Module on its inaugural flight killed all seven crew, two of whom were rookie doctors in space: David Brown and Laurel Clark. Brown (b. 1956) had Graduated from Yorktown High School, Arlington, Virginia in 1974 nd four years later Received bachelor of science degree in biology from the College of William and Mary. In 1982: Received a doctorate in medicine from Eastern Virginia Medical School. He was the 1986 recipient of the Navy Operational Flight Surgeon of the Year award. Clark, (b. 1961) a US Navy Captain had received bachelor of science degree in zoology from the University of Wisconsin– Madison in 1983 and four years later received doctorate in medicine from the University of Wisconsin–Madison.

After completing medical school, he trained in emergency medicine at the St. Vincent Hospital Emergency Medicine program in Toledo, Ohio, where he also worked as a Life Flight physician. In 1992, after three years of training, he was certified by the American Board of Emergency Medicine. He then worked as an emergency physician in Seattle, Washington, before being accepted into the first class of the NASA/ UTMB Space Medicine Fellowship in Galveston, Texas. After completing the fellowship in 1995, he worked as an emergency physician in area hospitals in Houston, Texas, and at the Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts.

For his second mission Marshburn flew to the ISS as member of the Soyuz TMA-07M crew which launched to ISS in December 2012 to join Expedition 34.

Orthopod Robert Satcher (b. 1965) was the rookie doctor on STS-129/Atlantis in November 2009. Satcher shown standing third from right in crew photo thus became the first orthopedic surgeon in space. Satcher received a Bachelor of Science degree as well as a doctorate in Chemical Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology then went on to study medicine at Harvard Medical School, and received his medical doctorate in 1994. He did his internship, residency, and postdoctoral research fellowship at the University of California, Berkeley from 1994–2000, and an orthopedic oncology fellowship at the University of Florida from 20002001. Prior to being accepted into the astronaut program by NASA, Satcher was the Assistant Professor at The Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, in the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery. Satcher also held appointments as an Attending Physician in Orthopaedic Surgery at Children's Memorial Hospital in Chicago, Illinois, specializing in Musculoskeletal Oncology

Final Shuttle MD Following this second shuttle tragedy there was a gap of over two and a half years before flights resumed and it was July 2009 before another rookie doctor flew. This honour fell to Thomas Marshburn (b. 1960, shown second from right) as part of the STS-127/ Endeavour crew. Marshburn received a Bachelor of Science degree in Physics from Davidson College, North Carolina, in 1982, and a Masters in Engineering Physics from the University of Virginia in 1984. He received a Doctorate of Medicine degree from Wake Forest University in 1989 and a Masters in Medical Science from the University of Texas Medical Branch in 1997.

Michael Barratt (b. 1959) was the last medic to go into space on STS-133/Discovery in February 2011, but that flight was his second, his first coming two years earlier. And for that he had had to wait, despite being in close proximity to other flown doctor astronauts, for 15 years. In January 1994 he had been assigned to the Shuttle-Mir Programme and spent over a year training in the Gagarin Cosmonaut Centre at Star City as one of two flight surgeons supporting Norman Thagard and his backup Bonnie Dunbar, a role that often included negotiations to resolve different approaches to medicine by NASA and Russian doctors. Barratt and fellow flight surgeon David Ward developed a Mir Supplemental Medical Kit to augment Russian equipment on Mir and developed a programme of training for its use, taught 26

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Selected as a Mission Specialist by NASA in July 2000, Barratt reported for training in August 2000. Following the completion of two years of training and evaluation, he was assigned technical duties in the Astronaut Office Station Operations Branch. In October 2004, Barratt served as an aquanaut during the NEEMO 7 mission aboard the Aquarius underwater laboratory, living and working underwater for eleven days.

to both NASA astronauts and Russian cosmonauts. Thagard (see above) launched to Mir aboard Soyuz TM-21 and returned to earth on STS-71; during the 115-day flight, Barratt and Ward effectively served as a CAPCOMs for the NASA Shuttle-Mir team in addition to their duties as flight surgeons.

Barratt was assigned to the Expedition 19 crew in February 2008 and launched to the International Space Station in March 2009 aboard Soyuz TMA-14. His stay aboard the ISS continued through until the end of Expedition 20 in October 2009.

From July 1995 through July 1998, Barratt served as Medical Operations Lead for the International Space Station (ISS). A frequent traveller to Russia, he worked with counterparts at Star City and the Institute of Biomedical Problems as well as other ISS partner centres, developing medical procedures, training and equipment for ISS. Barratt served as lead crew surgeon for ISS Expedition 1 from July 1998 until selected as an astronaut candidate. He serves as Associate Editor for Space Medicine for the journal Aviation, Space, and Environmental Medicine, and is senior editor of the textbook ‘Principles of Clinical Medicine for Space Flight’.

Barratt from the University of Washington in 1981 with a Bachelor of Science degree in zoology, going on to earn an M.D. from Northwestern University in 1985. He completed a three-year residency in internal medicine at Northwestern University in 1988; his Chief Residency year was at Veterans Administration Lakeside Hospital in Chicago in 1989.

First US MD in Space

Summary Table

None of the Mercury, Gemini or Apollo astronauts was medically qualified so the first American doctor to go into space was Joe Kerwin on Skylab 2 which launched on May 1973 and was in orbit for 28 days, establishing the long-stay endurance record established by the ill-fated Soyuz 11 crew.

Doctors* flew on 43 of the 135 shuttle launches. Counting medics who flew more than once the total of such flight instances is 54.

Kerwin received a bachelor of arts degree in philosophy from College of the Holy Cross, Worcester, Massachusetts, in 1953; a doctor of medicine degree

from Northwestern University Medical School, Chicago, Illinois, in 1957; completed his internship at the District of Columbia General Hospital in Washington, D.C.; and attended the United States Navy School of Aviation Medicine at Pensacola, Florida, being designated a naval flight surgeon in December 1958.

STS

Initials

6 7 8 51A 51D 51B 51F 51I 29 30 34 33 40 44

SM NT WT AF RS NT/WT SM WF JB NT EB SM/MC RS/JB/DG SM

* (inc vets)

42 50 47 55 58 61 64 66 63 71 78 72 80 81

NT EB MJ BH DW/MF/RS SM JL SP BH EB CB/RL DB SM JL

86 90 95 96 100 105 109 110 112 107 120 123 127 129 133

SP/DW JB/RL SP DB SP DB RL LM DW LC/DMB SP RL TM/DW RS MB

Next time : Cosmonaut Medics (updated from Jeff’s article in Nov 1996)

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Classical Constellations

Faroes 2001 Xmas seal for Boötes

Whirlpool Galaxay in Canis Venatici on Czechoslovakia 1967, France 1970 and Mexico 1940.

Boötes above Canis Venatici on Marshall Islands 2009 anda 2010 respectively

Exploiting his interest in stamps about space and those depicting classical mythology your editor continues a series referencing all the stamps we believe to exist in relation to the best known constellations and the classical legends related to them—using extracts and illustrations from the DK publication Universe (2005), the text of which was written by our Chairman.

Boötes directly above Canis Venatici on Japan 2013

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Whirlpool Galaxay in Canis Venatici on Czechoslovakia 1982 Minisheet under UIT symbol top left of design for Second UN Congress on Research and Peaceful Use of Outer Space held in Vienna, BoĂśtes on Staffa Localpost 1981, German Cinderella vignette (publicity for coffee) and in indica of Bermuda 1985 cover bearing two of their Halleyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Comet stamps, in a design later used by Marshall Islands (opposite)

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The Ring Nebula One of the most famous planetary nebulae in the whole sky M57 consists of hot gas shed from a central star. Its beautiful colours are revealed only on photographs such as this and it has graced a number of stamps: shown here USA 2000, GB 1985, Ascension 1971 and Mexico 1942. Harvey D’s checklist says Mauritania 1963 above right also shows the constellation—perhaps a more knowledgeable eye than mine can confirm this ?

Faroes Christmas Seal 2001, Marshall Is 2010, Japan 2011 USA 2005 show stars with Lyra... Austria 1971, Luxemburg 1977 and Cyprus 1989 show scenes from the Orpheus legend…

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Stamps showing Cygus from Japan 2011, Faroes 2001 (seal) Zil Elwannyen Sesel 1984, Germany 1999 with Leda shown on Cyprus 1989 (left)

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Stamps showing Andromeda from Faroes 2001 (seal), Japan 2012, Barbados 1988, East Germany 1967 and Malawi 1992 with two unclassified Paraguay stamps (1970ish) showing additional paintings of the old legend by Rubens showing Andromeda chained then rescued by Perseus.

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Local Post and Unauthorized Issues by John Beenen A short time ago I came across some city post issues referring to spacecraft. I did not know them and I thought it would be a great opportunity to search for other such issues. I judged completely wrong. The subject is much larger and much more complicated than I thought in my innocence

The first literature site referenced at the end of this article shows a nice and extensive survey of everything which has been issued until today (but alas no space themed items). As the site is already relatively old many of the ‘links’ are not working anymore. Despite this drawback, the site gives a lot of information.

First, of course there exist current official stamps which in my opinion have to fulfil three criteria: a. Issued by an official certified authority, b. Are recognised by one or more well-known catalogues and c. Are suitable for national and international postage.

Related to spacecraft some nice unauthorized stamps have been issued over the time, for example A block of four ‘stamps’ from Australia—(Solar Rocket System Service)

Second, in the catalogues there exist stamps for special purposes such as: tax, savings, service, express, aviation (no air postage), packet, surcharge, telegraph, train, field-post etc, not suitable for other postage applications. There are also ‘Personalised stamps’ suitable for postage aims but recognised in catalogues and local post items sometimes accepted by catalogues and suitable for postage purposes within a restricted area. Finally there are also ‘stamps’ issued by organizations or single persons which are not suitable for postage, registered nowhere...the unauthorized stamps, the so-called ‘vignettes’ or ‘cinderellas’.

As a principle the former ‘rocket post’ issues also belong to this group but I consider them as a special area of collection (see ebay.nl ‘ruimtevaart’ ‘vignette’). To me the subject ‘unauthorized stamps’ falls into two parts: issues from before 1945 and thereafter.

Cinderellas Non-authorized stamps are pictures looking like stamps called ‘Cinderellas’ or ‘vignettes’ and mostly used to appear besides the official stamp for free publicity or just decoration. Also the socalled poster stamps mainly used on the reverse of an envelope belong to this group.

An American block from 1961 of the Amvets(American Veterans) with a rocket and a USA flags, And note in WEEBAU some stamps of Isö, - local Swedish issues .

Next I found a Brazilian stamp from 1965 entitled ‘Aeronautica e espacio’ and some years before I had bought a small sheet printed in Canada with styled images of the planets, which is shown above. And there exist further stamps designed by single persons or organizations and related to spacecraft. On the site www.warren ellis.com, a writer, I found a stamp from Wales about ’Major Tom’. For those of you not familiar with Major 33

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Tom, he is a character of changing stature (in the Welsh vision a monkey) invented by the singer David Bowie and used in some of his songs. The most well-known is the song ‘Space Oddity’ with the world-wide known sentence: ‘Ground control to Major Tom’. The song was sung from the ISS on 12 May 2013 by the Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield. On the site of Ellis also another space stamp can be found of the ‘Welsh Indian Ocean Territories’. If the vignette of Major Tom could be found somewhere I don’t know of I’d like to know as from Wales I got no answer to my requests. Also interesting is an older German vignette issued in 1960 for the launch of Echo 1, which a short time ago I found at a Dutch supplier. However, when I look close to it, I wonder if it is not a matchbox label. Also nice is the ‘Intra-space stamp album’ with stamps of the planets. When we search at ebay and the country code and thereafter under ‘stamps’ ‘space vignette’ in the language of that country we find a number of older vignettes and rocket post for reasonable prices.

Weebau Also the Weebau catalogue includes a series of non-official issued stamps such as: private issues of Andorra, Belgium, Austria, Sweden (Isö) and the United States. Also from some islands or provinces of states…… Scottish Islands like Bernera, Davaar, (both illustrated below) Pabay, Sanda, Staffa and Eynhallow; Nagaland, the Indian snake province in the north-eastern part of India, Strike-stamps from Ajaccio, Bastia and Corsica (expensive!), but mainly dealing with General de Gaulle (www.ebay.fr ‘timbres’, ‘espace vignette’) Isö Sweden, a location East of Norrköping. Thomond, a former kingdom in Ireland around Limerick; Occusi-Ambeno (East-Timor) Some ‘countries’ without postal service such as Redonda (near to Antigua and Barbuda) and Dhufar, a province of Oman.

Arabic and African stamps The discussion about authorized versus non-authorized becomes much more complicated when we include the stamps issued by the Arabic (the so-called “Sand Dune”) States between 1969 and 1972, like Ras Al Khaima, Umm Al Kiwain, Fujairah, Manama etc etc. Some consider them as private issues, whilst others see them as official stamps. They actually could be used for international postage, hence they fulfil the requirements mentioned at the beginning of this feature for official stamps. But they show not much relation to space and when also parts of such states issue stamps, such as Dhufar, a province of Oman, or stamps with only changed values, and stamps in gold or silver it becomes tricky. So I can understand that one may not willing to collect them. Anyhow, the collectors’ site within Ebay treats them as cinderellas. But … with the same reasoning we also treat the issues of many of the African and Caribbean States, which also can be used as normal stamps. And then…….. there are the issues of the Russian provinces: Abchazia, Adigya, Altay, Balkaria, Bashkortostan, Bashkiria, Batum, Buryatia, Chakassia, Dagestan, Igushetia, Yakutia, Kalmykkia, Karakalpakya, Karelia, Kirgizia or Kyrgystan, Kurile Islands, Komi, Koryakia, Mordovia, Udmurtia, Ural, EastSiberia (Vostochnaya Sibirsk), Uzbekistan, Sakhalin, Tajikistan, Tatarstan, Turkmenia or Türkmenistan, Tuva, Tserkessia, Tsetsenia, Tsubasia, South-Ossetia (Yuzjnaya Osetiya, Xussar Iryston) etc.

Nice pictures, indeed, but to consider them as real stamps? The British call these and some other examples mentioned above ‘bogus local post’. If they are real stamps they have to be shown on real shipped letters and not as just an FDC or something. They should also be listed in a catalogue. Some such stamps are listed in the Weebau supplement and several catalogues, so consequently are official stamps Certainly non-official are blocks from Iraqi Kurdistan. At the moment this is a non-existent country. I think that

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mainly for political reasons such blocks have been prepared (6 blocks of nonSovjet cosmonauts in the Intercosmos project). Reference 3 (www.pmwo.org) gives an extensive review about illegal stamps, with names of dealers, sites and countries.

Cyber- and artstamps, matchbox labels From the 1960’s and the 1970’s many cinderellas have been made with propaganda against the atomic bomb. I found them in Denmark, USA, the Soviet Union and even in Esperanto—see above right illustrations. There was also a music band who issued four own stamps to be use for free publicity. (maiatheband.com). From Russia originated a Christmas stamp with a man in space suit. At the height of the space race this was no rarity. Many Soviet picture postcards are known where the Santa Claus has been replaced by somebody in a space suit or Santa sitting on a missile : expensive stuff to be found on ebay. Even the Bible is not safe for spacecraft as can be seen from the example above right. In short, when we surf the internet every time we meet new cinderellas or vignettes. I also found three small very artistic stamps showing animals in space: ‘Félicette”” of Eric R.Mortensen (www.dencreative.com/blog/the-best-stamp-collectionever/ or dribbble.com. (indeed 3xb). Mortensen confirmed my question that these were just ‘cyber stamps’, hence only to download at the internet. Cyber Cinderellas often show very artistic designs. Also Eric Whollem shows such cyber designs (Republic of the Moon, 2009) (see ref.). ‘Cyber stamps’ is an invented word showing that they are not real stamps but only exist in the digital environment.

As you have seen from the ‘stamp’ showing Echo above sometimes we may be wrong. On the internet a series of ‘Stamps’ are shown which look like stamps but are not, but are matchbox labels. Especially in the 50’s the Soviet Union edited several large series of very interesting labels. They still can be found at the internet but are relatively high priced. Also other countries made matchbox labels such as: Yugoslavia, Latvia, Romania en Czechoslovakia. Also the former Dutch supermarket chain ‘Edah’ issued two interesting series. Even pictures of posters can lead to confusion. .

Micronations The stamps of small city states such as: Afars and Issas, Foroyar, San Marino, Macau, Hong Kong, Singapore, Vatican and the small Polynesian Islands are fulfilling the three requirements for official issues. As such they appear in the grand catalogues, but there are ‘countries’ which do not satisfy these conditions. They are not-authorized. A nice review of such unknown or self-claimed ‘countries’, the socalled ‘micronations’ is: www.listofmicronations.com, http:// en.wikipedia.org. One of those ‘stamps’ (from 1960) was issued by J.T.Mangan in his in 1947 self-claimed state ‘Nation of Celestial Space’. The ‘state’ was located at the Evergreen Park, Chicago, Ill. and claimed to be the official representative of everything outside Earth. He sent requests for recognition to 74 states and pressed on trying stop nuclear tests. In 1968 the ‘state’ got 70.000 requests to be a national and to get a passport. The ‘stamp’ is a rarity and as thus, rather expensive. At the internet I found no address where it can be purchased

And what do you think of the Hungary stamp shown above? 35

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Covers Finally a large collection of unofficial covers exists made by organizations or private persons. Generally they carry an official space stamp and next to it an unofficial one (often not space-themed) . There is special status for the covers made by NASA (see also picture) and the Tartu Philatelic Club in Estonia (at that time Soviet Union). Jim Reichman wrote a nice article about them in Orbit’ in March 2012 (issue 93) (Tartu Club Space Covers).

for an international postal exhibition in 1933 and quite recently I detected some German vignettes from 1932. The Dan Dare stamps (www.dandare.info) are from England starting in 1953. Dan Dare is a SF-hero invented by Frank Hampson and shown on official GB issues of 1994 and 2012. An album with all those stamps is a collectors item and can be bought now for £ 100-150.

Also interesting are the covers of the Vatican issued many years ago with a large placard remembering the first American astronauts and a religious stimulus. And then there are several vignettes connected to regular blocks or stamps, such as in the USA ‘use zip code’ and all the older Soviet stamps with an additional vignette. Further, you can think of ‘special’ rubber stamps a complete and extended area. Also there are different Soviet covers from 2007 with an additional vignette. Unfortunately the picture above right is not very clear but I found no better one.

Older issues There also exist issues from before the space era. I show just one, as there are pictures enough already. If you like them you may find them on: brooklynframeworks.com, dreamsofspace.blogspot.com. I found 5 small stamps of Austria with a small rocket issued

The personalised stamp For some time now the American Zazzle organisation has issued many stamps for normal postal use including spacethemed ones. Thus, real stamps, just like the personal stamps we can order in The Netherlands and other countries. Sometimes you can buy them loose and sometimes in sheets only. Who wants to make his collection nicer, go ahead ! Some years ago I made my own personal ‘UFO’ stamp which is shown here. To be honest it is a shower head and some photo shopping. Personally designed stamps are not local post as they can be used nationally. Regarding space, a personal stamp was issued by Dutch space philatelists in 1968 at the 5th NVPH postal exhibition. 36

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Also the recently issued stamp of our former Chairman the late Arie Olckers (right) which for me was a very precious personalised stamp.

City Post I would say that real city post is specifically official post which circulates outside the scope of the official post service in a very restricted area. An enthusiastic collector of such stamps has one large problem: how to know what is brought into circulation and where? I surfed a lot on the internet but about city post but not much could be found from countries beyond the Netherlands. Perhaps it is not there, but who knows. But I suppose that the passionate collector has his or her connections.

www.localcollectorspost.org gives a well-documented review. Some of them are also taken up in the Weebau catalogue and are better known. NASA has local post issues with sheets of Armstrong, Aldrin, Collins, White, Apollo 1, 8, 11, 12, 13 en 14, Gemini 3 en 4 and many covers (see: ebay.com/stamps/NASA local post).

From Britain I found some unofficial stamps or series the most well-known of which is a set of 5 stamps issued in 1991 by the Scouts of Sheffield to the honour of Helen Sharman, the British astronaut. Much less well known are the stamps for Apollo 14 issued in Exeter in 1971 during a postal strike, which I finally got my hands on.

NASA and Cape Kennedy Finally ‘NASA Local Post’ and ‘Cape Kennedy Local Post’ issued many series of stamps.

Also in The Netherlands there exist city post with a space background. I know 4 series and some personal stamps. The most could be found still…… one series of three about Halley’s comet from The Hague one of 5 stamps from Amsterdam from 1970 one of 6 stamps from Utrecht but mainly dealing with aviation 3 sheets with stamps related to 35 year of CEPT issued at Amsterdam and based upon: Haïti WB 1 and 2 and Thailand 5. Probably these stamps are an infringement on the rights of the designers

And than I found at the Dutch ebay site ‘Marktplaats’ a personally designed stamp, from The Dutch astronaut Kuipers, possibly from person who designs for fun as I found many single stamps. 37

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Your responses are very welcome at my email address: johnbeenen@planet.nl 0229-217860. Search terms: bogus, cinderella, city post, custom, domestic, ebay.com/ ‘stamps’ ‘local space’, ebay.nl ‘postzegels’ ‘ruimtevaart vignette’, fantasy, forgery, illegal, local post, matchbox labels, micronations, non-issued, nonofficial, not issued, personal, personaliz(s)ed, phantasy, poster stamps, private, raketenpost, raketpost, rocket post, space animals, stadspost, vignette, unauthorized, unofficial. NB. Many vignette are still for sale at: ebay.nl or ebay.de and the stamp shop ‘Amsteltoren’. NASA stamps and covers can be found at: ebay.com.

Besides the officially designed stamps there also exist some unofficial personal stamps. But I am sure there is more in and outside the country so I conclude with two questions for your response: How do we obtain city post contact outside the country? Which other city post stamps with space as a subject are you aware of and willing to share with me.

www.stampshows.com/local-post.html Local posts of the world www.warrenellis.com Warren Ellis Dot Com www.pwmo.org/articles/rough-trade.htm Illegal stamps – Philately’s rough trade, J.M.Chute www.localcollectorspost.org Stamps of the Cape Kennedy local post http://dreamsofspace.blogspot.nl Intra-space stamp album (1953) http://vintagestampdesigns.com Vintage postage stamps, Karen Horton www.cinderellastampclub.org.uk The Cinderella Stamp Club www.motherboard.vice.com The outer space country that the United Nations ignored http://artblogericwhollem/blogspot.nl search for: cyberstamps www.stadtpost.de Stadspost (city post)

In response to John’s invitation to share material like this your editor contributes the following from his own collection—the Andy Swanston inspired Local Post issues from GB and a set of planet stamps produced by Avion Stamps

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Space Related Issues from Mozambique from Haruki Ikuro Our Japan based member wrote in October to tell us of an experience he had whilst holidaying in Mozambique in mid-April, last year. He visited Maputo General Post Office where he bought several stamps with space related designs which he dispatched to his home address, sending three covers and a post card. When he wrote—and presumably that’s that— only one cover and the postcard had arrived safely. He subsequently asked a friend living in the Mozambique capital to send a further cover which did arrive safely, bearing stamps depicting the Japanese satellite IKAROS. This material is illustrated below along with photographs showing the outside of the GPO in Maputo and a display from inside the building. Haruki notes that covers and postcards carrying Mozambique space stamps are seldom seen even on online auctions.

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Madagascar 2012 issue features spacefarers rarely seen on stamps Madagascar has produced a philatelic issue showing some “first” astronauts and cosmonauts and there will be more to come from this territory, no doubt. Each mini-sheet (available perf or imperf) is about the size of your spread hand and is beautifully designed containing two stamps depicting the first flyer, their national flag, the spacecraft and mission patch over images of the solar system. A facsimile signature and date of launch completes the design. These are expensive: your editor purchased each for just under £10 from Avion Stamps via Delcampe.net and noted the imperf version was 25% dearer. Also in the issue are first flyers from the USSR, USA, Israel, Poland, France, China and South Korea.