Space Foundation to award US Postal Service for 75 years of space stamps

February 4, 2023

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The Area Basis has given its stamp of approval to america Postal Service (USPS) and its 75 years of space-themed postage.

The nonprofit basis, which was established in 1983 to help a worldwide space ecosystem, is recognizing the U.S. mail provider because the 2023 winner of the Douglas S. Morrow Public Outreach Award (opens in new tab). Named in honor of the late author, producer and space advocate, the award is introduced to people or organizations who’ve considerably contributed to the general public consciousness of space packages.

“For over 60 years, [the] USPS has celebrated achievements in space exploration, astronomy, space and Earth science, in addition to those that pioneered many of those groundbreaking accomplishments,” mentioned Tom Zelibor, Area Basis CEO, in a statement (opens in new tab). “By means of the colour, creativity and character of space-inspired stamps, USPS has lengthy been established as a storyteller by way of their visionary work, and its contributions ought to be celebrated.”

The USPS (beforehand the Publish Workplace Division till 1971) has celebrated america’ achievements in space for extra years than the Area Age has existed. Starting with a 1948 3-cent stamp depicting a V2 missile launch from Fort Bliss in Texas, the postal service has issued greater than 100 space stamps.

Associated: Space age postage stamps through history (photos)

STS-1 astronauts John Younger (at left) and Bob Crippen (proper) with space artist Robert McCall on the dedication ceremony for the 1981 “Area Achievement” stamps launched by the USPS. (Picture credit score: NASA)

A number of the extra fashionable subjects over time have included: the first American in orbit (opens in new tab), the first moon landing (opens in new tab), the space shuttle, planetary probes and, as of 2011, particular astronauts together with Alan Shepard and Sally Ride. The latest U.S. postage stamp with a spaceflight theme was launched in September 2022 to acknowledge NASA’s latest orbital observatory, the James Webb Space Telescope (opens in new tab).

Along with that includes NASA imagery, U.S. space-topical stamps have additionally served as canvases for among the nation’s high space artists, together with Robert McCall, Paul Calle and his son Chris Calle, Ron Miller and James Vaughan.

“The Postal Service is honored to be chosen for this award in recognition of the numerous space-themed stamps now we have launched over time,” mentioned William Gicker, Director of Stamp providers for the U. S. Postal Service. “Stamps are a part of the material of U.S. tradition that celebrates the individuals, occasions and cultural milestones of American life, together with the strides that People have made into space.”

“Beginning with rockets showing on stamps within the Forties by way of stamps that includes milestones within the space race within the Sixties to stamps honoring [the] space shuttle and NASA’s exploration of the solar system, the postal service has discovered space-themed stamps to be a particularly fashionable topic,” Gicker mentioned.

Beginning with the 1948 Fort Bliss 3-cent stamp, which depicted a V-2 launch from Texas, the U.S. Postal Service has celebrated the nation's efforts in space with more than 100 postage stamps.

Starting with the 1948 Fort Bliss 3-cent stamp, which depicted a V2 launch from Texas, the U.S. Postal Service has celebrated the nation’s efforts in space with greater than 100 postage stamps. (Picture credit score: USPS/collectSPACE.com)

The inspiration will current the award to the USPS throughout the opening ceremonies for the group’s annual Area Symposium in Colorado Springs on April 17.

Established in 1995, past Morrow honorees (opens in new tab) have included: the “Apollo 13” film crew (1996), LIFE Journal (2004), NASA’s social media crew (2012) and the Smithsonian Nationwide Air and Area Museum (2020). The latest recipients, awarded collectively in 2022, had been the business spaceflight corporations Virgin Galactic, Blue Origin and SpaceX for advancing the general public’s understanding and engagement with space.