Someday quickly, within the first few weeks or maybe months of 2023, NASA will start distributing one thing it has not had in additional than 50 years: new patches, flags and different souvenirs that took a visit across the moon.
The Artemis 1 Official Flight Equipment (OFK), with its practically 10,000 mementos from the recently-completed, uncrewed lunar mission, arrived again on the company’s Kennedy Area Middle in Florida on Friday (Dec. 30) after splashing down and crossing the country by truck. As soon as unpacked from the Orion spacecraft that carried it to the moon and again, the contents of the Official Flight Kit (opens in new tab) might be introduced and despatched out to the organizations and people who supported the history-making Artemis 1 mission.
Whether or not any of these newly-minted moon collectibles — the primary created by the U.S. for the reason that finish of the Apollo program in 1972 — attain most people remains to be to be seen. If previous priority holds true, among the memorabilia will make its manner into fanatics’ fingers, both coming straight from NASA and its contractors or by being handed on by their authentic recipients.
Whereas collectors watch for these objects to turn out to be accessible, the brand new yr brings with it different alternatives to rejoice space exploration through new offerings in 2023 (opens in new tab).
Associated: The 10 greatest images from NASA’s Artemis 1 moon mission
Stamps and cash
It’s not but identified if the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) might be releasing any new space-related postage stamps this yr. Although it has already previewed most of the points deliberate for the subsequent 12 months and none of these have had a NASA or space theme, there’s nonetheless an opportunity that one (or extra) might come.
USPS officers suggested that what has been proven up to now is just a partial checklist, “with extra to be revealed within the weeks and months forward.”
A fast search of a number of different nations’ stamp applications returned only some space commemoratives deliberate for 2023 to date. Most prominently, Russia has a brand new stamp popping out that footage its medal for “Deserves in Area Exploration,” a part of a sequence of stamps dedicated to the awards of the Russian Federation, which is about for launch later this month. Russia additionally has plans for a nonetheless be revealed stamp sheet devoted to Luna 25, the nation’s first moon mission for the reason that fall of the Soviet Union, to be issued in Could (the mission is tentatively deliberate to launch later this yr).
Just like the USPS, the U.S. Mint has but to announce any space-related cash or medallions to be struck within the upcoming yr. The Mint’s ongoing applications which have included space themes, such because the American Innovation dollar coins (opens in new tab) and the American Girls quarters, are centered on different topics in 2023.
One attainable launch could be the bronze replicas of the Congressional Gold Medals honoring “Hidden Figures,” the Black ladies who labored for NASA as “human computer systems” through the early years of spaceflight. Approved by Congress in 2019, the designs for the 5 medals — one every for supervisor Dorothy Vaughan, mathematician Katherine Johnson and engineers Mary Jackson and Christine Darden, in addition to a gaggle award — were last reviewed in late 2020 (opens in new tab).
Toys and fashions
Essentially the most anticipated space collectibles of 2023 could be the launch of Mattel’s line of toys impressed by SpaceX.
As introduced final July, the worldwide toy firm has entered into a multi-year agreement (opens in new tab) with Elon Musk’s business spaceflight agency to make and market toys and “elevated collectibles” based mostly on SpaceX’s rockets and spacecraft. No specifics have been revealed but, however Mattel stated the primary toys could be launched by its Matchbox and Mattel Creations manufacturers someday this yr.
SpaceX is predicted to launch its Starship spacecraft and Super Heavy rocket collectively for the primary time in 2023. The check flight (or flights) will advance NASA’s plans to make use of a model of the Starship to land the subsequent people on the moon.
One other launch this yr are the restricted version NASA astronauts as a part of Funko’s Soda line of vinyl figures (opens in new tab). Initially anticipated to ship in September of final yr, the soda can-packed astronauts solely started displaying up in retail shops in late December, with their vast launch now scheduled for this month.
Lego, which flew four minifigures (opens in new tab) within the Artemis 1 OFK, has not introduced any new space-themed units for 2023, although a rumor of a Technic model of NASA’s Perseverance Mars rover started to unfold on-line simply earlier than the brand new yr.
Mission patches and extra
For guide collectors, 2023 will carry a brand new assortment of early spaceflight imagery (“Photographing America’s First Astronauts (opens in new tab): Venture Mercury By the Lens of Invoice Taub” by J.L. Pickering and John Bisney, Purdue College Press) and an astronaut’s information to stepping out in space (“How to Spacewalk (opens in new tab): Step-by-Step with Shuttle Astronauts” by Kathy Sullivan with Michael Rosen, MIT Children Press) amongst many different titles.
For autograph collectors, maybe the best profile crew to be introduced in years is about to be revealed with the collection of the 4 astronauts chosen to fly on Artemis 2, the primary mission of NASA’s new moon program. All that’s identified in regards to the contingent immediately is that one of the astronauts will be Canadian (opens in new tab).
The Artemis 2 crew announcement may be adopted by the discharge of an Artemis 2 mission patch, although when that may happen, if in any respect, this yr is unknown. Extra sure for 2023, would be the launch of the patch for Boeing’s first CST-100 Starliner Crewed Flight Test (opens in new tab) (CFT), slated for launch to the Worldwide Area Station in April.
Different notable insignia for this yr might embody the primary flight patches for SpaceX’s Starship and United Launch Alliance’s Vulcan rocket.
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