USA - 1971 - APOLLO 15 "Phases of the Moon"
USA - 1971 - APOLLO 15 - space letter "Phases of the Moon", one out of 144 covers printed with a cachet showing 15 phases of the Moon and carried around the Moon during Apollo 15 mission (on the whole 641 space letters were carried but 398 had not been authorized, thus the scandal - 358 covers were confiscated by Nasa until 1983) - diptych "A decade of Space achievements" c.8+c.8 + additional c.8 ex., black oval postmark of 26.7.71, launch day, canc. "USS Okinawa Aug 7 1971 AM (LPH-3)", the day when it was recovered in the Pacific Ocean by the aircraft carrier USS Okinawa, and red postmark on the reverse "Recovery Aug 7 1971" - signatures of David R.Scott, Alfred M.Worden and James B.Irwin - this cover is part of a group of 100 similar covers (but Worden confirmed the number of 144 covers with the cachet "Phases of the Moon", 60 of them were confiscated by NASA in 1973 and numered) which Mr.Herrick of Miami gave to the Apollo 15 astronauts to have them carried in orbit around the Moon - this cover is one of the few moon covers which were not seized by Nasa (absence of the Nasa number) - copy in black and white of the commemorative card enclosed of the mission by the crew - cert. Lester Winnik n.S-116, May 2, 1975 - very good quality
You might also like