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Mercury and
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| Mercury | Gemini-1 |
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Mercury and
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| Mercury | Gemini-1 |
This page contains philatelic information on the Mercury and Gemini-series [un-manned] satellites. Catalog numbers, years of issue, and notes on the satellites featured are given when available. If readers know of additional information or images, please contact the authors using the e-mail addresses at the bottom of this page.
This page includes only those Mercury and Gemini-series missions which resulted in an orbited payload AND which were un-manned missions. Sub-orbital Mercury and Gemini-series [un-manned] launches are included in the research rockets page.
| Launch information (found elsewhere) |
Launch covers (including anniversary-of-launch covers, and launch-related event covers) (farther below) |
Other postal items (stamps, souvenir sheets, aerogrammes, postal cards, etc.) (immediately below) |
|---|---|---|
| Mercury and Gemini [un-manned] | Mercury [un-manned] | Mercury and Gemini [un-manned] |
| Gemini [un-manned] |
Below is a list of Mercury and Gemini-series [un-manned] satellite postal items (stamps, souvenir sheets, aerogrammes, postal cards, etc.).
| Country | Catalog Number | Type of Item | Year of Issue | Notes on Content |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mercury and Gemini [un-manned, but often involved in manned missions] | ||||
| Bhutan | 118C (Mi415) | Simulated-3D plastic-overlay | 1970 | Atlas-ATDA (Augmented Target Docking Adapter) with the conical protective fairing at the front of the vehicle in the closed (for launch) position |
| Bhutan | 118Cm (BL41) | On one of MS4 (118-118C) (Mi412-415), simulated-3D plastic-overlay | ||
| Bhutan | 1249 (BL402) | On stamp of SS1 (Mi1989) | 1999 | GATV (docked with a Gemini capsule) |
| Central African Republic | BL1505 | On stamp of SS1 (Mi6419) | 2016 | GATV docked with Gemini-8 capsule |
| Central African Republic | Unknown b (Mi?) | One of MS4 (a-d) | 2019 | GATV and Gemini-11 capsule |
| Guinea-Bissau | Mi8743-8746_ms4 | MS4 (Mi8743-8746) | 2016 | Gemini-8 rendezvous with GATV |
| Guinea-Bissau | BL1513 | On stamp of SS1 (Mi8747) | ||
| Hungary | 1806 (Mi2302) i1806 | Imperforate | 1966 | GATV and Gemini-9A capsule (but the depiction is incorrect since the ATDA, not the GATV, was the rendezvous target of the Gemini-9A mission) |
| Hungary | 1810 (Mi2306) i1810 | Imperforate | GATV docked with Gemini-11 capsule (but the year "1965" printed in the stamp is incorrect; it should be "1966") | |
| Maldive Islands | Unknown ms (Mi?) | In (left) margin of MS4 (a-d) | 2019 | GATV tethered to Gemini 11 (the design comes from this photograph) |
| Maldive Islands | Unknown ss (BL?) | In (left) margin of SS1 | ||
| Manama | MiD973A MiD973B | Imperforate | 1972 | The Atlas Automated Target Docking Adaptor (ATDA), about 20 m from the Gemini-9A capsule |
| Manama | Mi1068A Mi1068B | One of strip of 3 (Mi1067A-1069A) One of imperforate strip of 3 (Mi1067B-1069B) | 1972 | Gemini-11 (in the foreground) tethered to the GATV (Gemini-Agena Target Vehicle) |
| Manama | Mi1067A-1069A_strip3 fdc | One of strip of three stamps on FDC | ||
| Manama | BL206A BL206B | On stamp of SS1 (Mi1068A) On stamp of imperforate SS1 (Mi1068B) | ||
| Manama | Mi1090A Mi1090B | Imperforate | 1972 | The first of three EVAs (Extra-Vehicular Activities) by astronaut Buzz Aldrin in the Gemini-12 mission; the GATV (Gemini-Agena Target Vehicle) is partially visible behind him |
| Manama | BL218A BL218B | On stamp of SS1 (Mi1090A) On stamp of imperforate SS1 (Mi1090B) | ||
| Manama | Mi1091A Mi1091B | One of strip of 3 (Mi1091A-1093A) One of imperforate strip of 3 (Mi1091B-1093B) | 1972 | Astronaut Richard Gordon (astride the nose of the Gemini-11 capsule) in the process of attaching a 30 m tether from the GATV (Gemini-Agena Target Vehicle) to the capsule's docking bar; the GATV is partially visible behind Gordon) |
| Mozambique | Unknown d | One of MS4 (a-d) | 2020 | GATV and "Gemini-8" |
| Mozambique | Unknown d | One of MS4 (a-d) | "Gemini-12 docked with GATV | |
| Panama | 453A (Mi725) i453A (Mi?) | Imperforate | 1964 | "Gemini" capsule docking with "Agena" (i.e. with the GATV) |
| Panama | 453A pair | 453A pair (2x 453A) | ||
| Paraguay | 806 (Mi1295) i806 (Mi1303) | Imperforate, different color | 1964 | "'Gemini' program [capsule] docking with 'Agena' [Target Vehicle] in space" (in Spanish text) |
| Paraguay | 807 (Mi1296) i807 (Mi1304) | Imperforate, different color | ||
| Paraguay | 808 (Mi1297) i808 (Mi1305) | Imperforate, different color | ||
| Senegal | 719 (Mi913) i719 | Imperforate | 1987 | "Rendezvous of Gemini-8 and the Agena Target Rocket" (i.e. the GATV) (in French text); (but the 20th anniversary, not the 10th as written in the stamps and the SS1 margin) |
| Senegal | 720 (BL48) | On stamp (Mi914) of SS1 | ||
| Sierra Leone | Unknown b | One of MS2 (a-b) | 2020 | The first of three EVAs (Extra-Vehicular Activities) by astronaut Buzz Aldrin in the Gemini-12 mission; the GATV (Gemini-Agena Target Vehicle) is partially visible behind him |
| United States | 1193 fdc (Mi822 fdc) | (Multi-color printed) cachet on FDC | 1962 | "Project Mercury MA-5 first chimpanzee in orbit" |
| United States | 1332b fdc (Mi930-931 fdc) | (Freemason?) cachet on cover | 1967 | The first of three EVAs (Extra-Vehicular Activities) by astronaut Buzz Aldrin in the Gemini-12 mission; the GATV (Gemini-Agena Target Vehicle) is partially visible behind him |
| United States | 1435b fdc (Mi1046-1047 fdc) | (Sarzin) cachet on FDC | 1971 | GATV (Gemini-Agena Target Vehicle) |
| United States (FMF Local Post) | None | (FMF) local post stamp | 1975 | GATV |
| United States (FMF Local Post) | None | (FMF) local post stamp | 1976 | ATDA |
Below is a list of Mercury and Gemini-series [un-manned] satellite launch covers (including anniversary-of-launch covers, and launch-related event covers).
| Country | Cancel Date | Cancel Location | Type of Item | Notes on Content |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mercury [un-manned] | ||||
| 1961-09-13: Mercury-MA-4 | ||||
| United States | 1961-09-13 | Port Canaveral FL | (Sarzin) cachet on cover | Mercury-MA-4 launch |
| Mercury-MA-4 (events) | ||||
| United States | 1962-08-20 | USS Decatur | (Magenta rubber-stamp) cachet on cover | Mercury-MA-4 recovery |
| 1961-11-29: Mercury-MA-5 | ||||
| United States | 1961-11-29 | Port Canaveral FL | (Black and magenta rubber-stamp) cachet on cover | Mercury-MA-5 launch |
| United States | 1961-11-29 | Patrick AFB, FL | (SpaceCraft) cachet on cover | Mercury-MA-5 launch |
| United States | 1961-11-29 | Patrick AFB, FL | (C. Swanson magenta rubber-stamp and black typed) cachet on cover | Mercury-MA-5 launch |
| Mercury-MA-5 (anniversaries) | ||||
| United States | 2016-11-29 | Sagamore Beach MA | (Coverscape) cachet on cover | 55th anniv. Mercury-MA-5 launch |
| 1961-11-01: Mercury-MS-1 | ||||
| United States | 1961-11-01 | Patrick AFB, FL | (C. Swanson magenta rubber-stamp) cachet on cover | Mercury-MS-1 launch |
| Gemini [un-manned, but often involved in manned missions] | ||||
| 1964-04-08: Gemini-Titan-GT-1 | ||||
| United States | 1964-04-08 | Cape Canaveral FL | (SpaceCraft) cachet on cover | Titan-2 mission GT-1 to test the structural integrity of the GLV (the Titan rocket, or Gemini Launch Vehicle) and the un-manned Gemini capsule, and also to demonstrate the GLV's ability to place the capsule into a prescribed orbit |
| United States | 1964-04-08 | Cape Canaveral FL | (SpaceCraft) cachet (and signature) on cover | |
| United States | 1964-04-08 | Cape Canaveral FL | (C. Swanson purple rubber-stamp) cachet on cover | |
| 1965-01-19: Gemini-Titan-GT-2 [sub-orbital] | ||||
| United States | 1965-01-19 | Patrick AFB, FL | (SpaceCraft) cachet on cover | Gemini-GT-2 launch |
| United States | 1965-01-19 | Cape Canaveral FL | (C. Swanson blue rubber-stamp) cachet on (airmail) cover | |
| 1966-06-01: Atlas-ATDA | ||||
| United States | 1966-06-01 | Cape Canaveral FL | (Orbit Covers) cachet on cover | "Wild alligator target launch" (ATDA) |
| United States | 1966-06-01 | Cape Canaveral FL | (Blue and black printed) cachet on cover | "Augmented Target Docking Adapter" (ATDA) |
| Atlas-ATDA (events) | ||||
| United States | 1966-06-03 | Cape Canaveral FL | (Sarzin) cachet on Gemini-9A launch cover | "Space Meeting GT9" (with the ATDA) |
| United States | 1976-06-03 | Houston TX | Local post stamp and (cyan and black rubber-stamp) cachet on Gemini-9A anniversary cover | 10th anniv. "Gemini-9 rendezvous in space with ATDA". |
| United States | 1966-11-11 | Cape Canaveral FL | (Orbit Covers) cachet on Gemini-12 launch and event cover, also detail | ATDA |
| 1965-10-25: GATV-6 | ||||
| United States | 1965-10-25 | Cape Canaveral FL | (Sokolsky black) cachet on cover | GATV-6 launch |
| United States | 1965-10-25 | Cape Canaveral FL | (Centennial-like) cachet on cover | GATV-6 launch |
| 1966-03-16: GATV-8 (and Gemini-8) | ||||
| United States | 1963-03-16 | Cape Canaveral FL | (SpaceCraft/Swanson) cachet on cover | GATV-8 (and Gemini-8) separate launches, later docking in orbit |
| GATV (events) | ||||
| United States | 1965-08-21 | Cape Canaveral FL | (Astro Covers) cachet on Gemini-5 launch cover | "maneuvers with [a virtual2] Agena target" (GATV) |
| Antigua | 1965-12-07 | St. John's | (Round black rubber-stamp) cachet on Gemini-7 event cover | Posigrade maneuver1 after failed GATV launch on 25 Oct 1965 |
| United States | 1966-07-18 | Cape Canaveral FL | (Astro Covers, no logo) cachet on Gemini-10 launch cover | "Rendezvous with Agena Target" (i.e. the GATV) and "Space walk between 2 spacecraft" (i.e. between the Gemini capsule and the GATV) |
| United States | 1966-07-18 | Cape Canaveral FL | (Astro Covers) cachet (different) on Gemini-10 launch cover | "Rendezvous with Agena" (i.e. the GATV) and "Space walk between 2 spacecraft" (i.e. between the Gemini capsule and the GATV) |
| United States | 1966-07-18 | Cape Canaveral FL | (Orbit Covers) cachet on Gemini-10 launch cover, also detail | docking with the GATV |
| United States | 1966-07-19 | Cape Canaveral FL | (Orbit Covers) cachet on Gemini-10 event cover, also detail | docking with the GATV |
| United States | 1966-11-11 | Cape Canaveral FL | (Orbit Covers) cachet on Gemini-12 launch and event cover, also detail | GATV |
| United States | 1966-11-11 | Cape Canaveral FL (hand cancel) | (Astro Covers, no logo) cachet on Gemini-12 launch and event cover | "Rendezvous [with the GATV] and space walk mission" |
| United States | 1966-11-11 | Cape Canaveral FL (machine cancel) | (Astro Covers, no logo) cachet (different) on Gemini-12 launch and event cover | "Rendezvous and docking with Agena" (i.e. with the GATV); the tethered GATV is seen in the cachet; here is another view |
| United States | 1966-11-11 | Cape Canaveral FL | (Orbit Covers) cachet on Gemini-12 launch and event cover | Gemini capsule docked with the GATV; also tethered to the GATV; also Gemini-11 astronaut Richard Gordon astride the nose of the Gemini-11 capsule and attaching the GATV tether (design based on this Gemini-11 mission photograph; the GATV is partially visible just beyond Gordon's body; see also Manama Mi1091A) |
| United States | 1975-08-21 | Cape Canaveral FL | Local post stamp and (cyan and black rubber-stamp) cachet on Gemini-5 anniversary cover | GATV and Gemini-5 (but the docking maneuvers in this mission were virtual2; no GATV was in orbit during the Gemini-5 mission) |
| United States | 2016-03-17 | Sagamore Beach MA | (Coverscape) cachet on Gemini-8 event cover | 40th anniversary "rendezvous and docking - Gemini-VIII" and "Aegina target vehicle" (GATV) |
1A posigrade maneuver is the use of an auxiliary rocket motor to impart additional thrust to a spacecraft in its direction of motion. On 7 Dec 1965, Gemini-7 performed a posigrade maneuver using the aft-firing thrusters for 16.5 seconds. The result was an increase in speed of 12.6 ft/sec. This was done to adjust the orbital altitude of the Gemini-7 capsule in preparation for its planned rendezvous with Gemini-6A, which took place on 15 Dec 1965.
2One of the goals of the Gemini-5 mission was to test techniques to rendezvous with a given point in space. This was done on the third day of the flight. Four different rendezvous maneuvers were successfully tested, using the Orbit, Attitude and Maneuvering System (OAMS). Such precision maneuvers had never before been attempted in an American spaceflight. Subsequent Gemini missions would rendezvous in space with real objects such as the Agena Target Vehicles.
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