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Orbiting Astronomical Observatory
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Orbiting Astronomical Observatory
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This page contains philatelic information on the OAO (Orbiting Astronomical Observatory) series 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.
| 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) |
|---|---|---|
| OAO | OAO | OAO |
Below is a list of OAO-series postal items (stamps, souvenir sheets, aerogrammes, postal cards, etc.).
| Country | Catalog Number | Type of Item | Year of Issue | Notes on Content |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Orbiting Astronomical Observatory (OAO) | ||||
| Benin | 502 (Mi256) | 1980 | OAO-3 / Copernicus | |
| Benin | 502 proof | Die proof | ||
| Bhutan | 151D (Mi551) | Plastic overlay | 1973 | OAO-3 / Copernicus |
| Bhutan | 151g (BL59) | MS2 (151D-E), plastic overlay | ||
| Central African Republic | 1174a (Mi1879) | One of MS4 (1174 (a-d)) | 1997 | OAO-3 / Copernicus |
| Chad | 709a (Mi1511) | One of MS6 (709 (a-f)) | 1997 | OAO-B (not "OAO-3 / Copernicus", as in text) |
| Chad | 923 (Mi2259) | 2001 | OAO-3 / Copernicus | |
| Chad | 923a (BL326A) i923a (BL326B) | SS1 (923) Imperforate SS1 (i923) | ||
| Chad | 923a fdc i923a fdc | SS1 and cachet on FDC Imperforate SS1 and cachet on FDC | ||
| Chad | 923b (BL?) | MS4 (4x 923) | ||
| Dominica | 2237c (Mi2904) | One of MS6 (2237 (a-f)) | 2000 | OAO-3 / Copernicus |
| Equatorial Guinea | Mi1276 | 1978 | OAO-1 (not "Cosmos-894", as in text) | |
| Gambia | 799 (Mi819) | 1988 | OAO-3 / Copernicus | |
| Germany (West) | None | Cachet on cover | 1973 | OAO-3 / Copernicus |
| Ghana | 166a (BL9) | In (upper-left) margin of imperforate MS4 (4x 166) | 1964 | OAO-21 |
| Liberia | 657 (Mi900) | 1973 | OAO-3 / Copernicus | |
| Maldive Islands | 488 (BL23) | SS1 | 1974 | OAO-3 / Copernicus |
| Mali | C301 (Mi570) | 1977 | OAO-1 | |
| Poland | None | Cancel | 1973 | OAO-3 / Copernicus |
| Poland | 1979 (Mi?) | Stamp and label | 1973 | OAO-3 / Copernicus |
| Poland | 1979a (BL53) | MS6 (6x 1979 + 2 labels) | ||
| Poland | 2248a (Mi2539) | On (left) selvedge of MS6 (6x 2248 + 2 labels) | 1977 | OAO-3 / Copernicus |
| Poland | 2366 (Mi2660) | Also detail | 1979 | OAO-3 / Copernicus |
| Poland | 2366 fdc | Stamp on FDC | ||
| Poland | 2369a (BL80) | On one of MS5 (2365-2369 + label) | ||
| Satellite Beach FL (USA) | Local | set-C10 (blue) | 1964 | OAO-1 |
| Satellite Beach FL (USA) | Local o/p | set-C10 (blue) overprinted in gold | 1965 | OAO-1 |
| Sharjah | 42 (Mi54A) i42 (Mi54B) | Imperforate | 1964 | OAO-21 |
| Sharjah | 42A (Mi unlisted) i42A | 42 overprinted new currency i42 overprinted new currency | ||
| Sierra Leone | 622 (BL21) | SS1 | 1984 | OAO-B (in a totally inappropriate situation) |
| Switzerland | None | (WERABA-73) cachet on cover | 1973 | OAO-3 / Copernicus |
| Switzerland | None | (WERABA-73) cachet on cover (slightly different) | 1973 | OAO-3 / Copernicus |
| Togo | 500 (Mi446) i500 | Imperforate | 1964 | OAO-1 |
| Togo | 504 (Mi450) i504 | Imperforate | ||
| Togo | 505a (BL17) | Imperforate MS4 (502-505) | ||
| United Nations (Geneva) | 46 fdc (Mi46 fdc) | Cachet on FDC, also detail | 1975 | OAO-3 / Copernicus |
| United States | None | (SpaceCraft) cachet on Telstar-1 launch cover | 1962 | OAO-21 |
| United States | None | (SpaceCraft) cachet on Ranger-5 launch cover | 1962 | OAO-21 |
| United States | None | (Centennial?) cachet on OGO-5 launch cover | 1968 | OAO-21 |
| United States | 1488 fdc (Mi1095 fdc) | (IASP) cachet on FDC | 1973 | OAO-B (not OAO-3 / Copernicus, as in text) |
| United States | None | Cancel on postal card | 1973 | OAO-3 / Copernicus |
| United States | None | (Orbit) cachet on ANS launch cover | 1974 | OAO-1 |
| United States | None | (GSFC printed) cachet on 50th anniv. first liquid fuel rocket flight/launch cover (same cachet design as immediately below) | 1976 | OAO |
| United States | None | (GSFC rubber-stamp) cachet on Pioneer-12 launch cover (same cachet design as immediately above) | 1978 | OAO |
| United States | None | (GSFC rubber-stamp) cachet on Nimbus-7 and CAMEO launch cover (same cachet design as immediately above) | 1978 | OAO |
| United States | None | (Gill Craft) cachet on cover | 1984 | OAO-1 |
| Yemen Arab Republic | C86 (Mi1697) | 1982 | OAO-21 | |
| Yemen Arab Republic | C86 ds | Deluxe sheet (C86) | ||
| Yemen Arab Republic | C86 proof | Chromalin-proof | ||
1These items are labeled as OAO-2 satellites based on the rectangular solar panels.
Below is a list of OAO-series launch covers (including anniversary-of-launch covers, and launch-related event covers).
| Country | Cancel Date | Cancel Location | Type of Item | Notes on Content |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Orbiting Astronomical Observatory (OAO) | ||||
| 1966-04-08: OAO-1 | ||||
| United States | 1966-04-08 | Kennedy Space Center FL | (Typed) cachet on cover | OAO-1 launch |
| United States | 1966-04-08 | Cape Canaveral FL | (Sarzin) cachet on cover | OAO-1 launch |
| United States | 1966-04-08 | Patrick AFB, FL | (SpaceCraft/Swanson) cachet on cover | OAO-1 launch (OAO-2 image) |
| United States | 1966-04-08 | Cape Canaveral FL | (SpaceCraft/Swanson) cachet on cover | OAO-1 launch (OAO-2 image) |
| United States | 1966-04-08 | Cape Canaveral FL | (Centennial?) cachet on cover | OAO-1 launch (not Explorer-31) |
| 1968-12-07: OAO-2 / Stargazer | ||||
| United States | 1968-12-07 | Patrick AFB, FL (hand cancel) | (SpaceCraft/Swanson) cachet on cover | OAO-2 launch |
| United States | 1968-12-07 | Patrick AFB, FL (machine cancel) | (SpaceCraft/Swanson) cachet on cover | OAO-2 launch |
| United States | 1968-12-07 | Cape Canaveral FL (hand cancel) | (SpaceCraft/Swanson) cachet on cover | OAO-2 launch |
| United States | 1968-12-07 | Cape Canaveral FL (machine cancel) | (SpaceCraft/Swanson) cachet on cover | OAO-2 launch |
| United States | 1968-12-07 | Cape Canaveral FL | (Centennial?) cachet on cover | OAO-2 launch |
| United States | 1968-12-07 | Cape Canaveral FL | (HJM/typed) cachet on cover | OAO-2 launch |
| United States | 1968-12-07 | Cape Canaveral FL | (Orbit) cachet on cover | OAO-2 launch (OAO-1 image) |
| 1970-11-30: OAO-B / Goddard1 [failed] | ||||
| United States | 1970-11-30 | Cape Canaveral FL | (Orbit) cachet on cover | OAO-B launch [failed] |
| United States | 1970-11-30 | Kennedy Space Center FL (machine cancel) | (Space Voyage) cachet on cover | OAO-B launch [failed] |
| United States | 1970-11-30 | Kennedy Space Center FL (hand cancel) | (Space Voyage) cachet on cover | OAO-B launch [failed] |
| United States | 1970-11-30 | Cape Canaveral FL | (Space Voyage) cachet on cover | OAO-B launch [failed] |
| United States | 1970-11-30 | Patrick AFB, FL | (Solar no.?) cachet on cover | OAO-B launch [failed] |
| United States | 1970-11-30 | Cape Canaveral FL | (Three-color rubber-stamp) cachet on cover | OAO-B launch [failed] |
| United States | 1970-11-30 | Cape Canaveral FL | (Andromeda no.21) cachet on cover | OAO-B launch [failed] |
| 1972-08-21: OAO-3 / Copernicus | ||||
| United States | 1972-08-21 | Kennedy Space Center FL | (Space Voyage) cachet on cover | OAO-3 launch |
| United States | 1972-08-21 | Kennedy Space Center FL | (Space Voyage) cachet (different) on cover | OAO-3 launch |
| United States | 1972-08-21 | Cape Canaveral FL | (Space Voyage) cachet on cover | OAO-3 launch |
| United States | 1972-08-21 | Greenbelt MD | (GSFC) cachet on cover | OAO-3 launch |
| United States | 1972-08-21 | Kennedy Space Center FL | (Cygnus no.31/Andromeda) cachet on cover | OAO-3 launch (OAO-B image) |
| United States | 1972-08-21 | Kennedy Space Center FL | (Solar no.?) cachet on cover | OAO-3 launch (OAO-B image) |
| United States | 1972-08-21 | Cape Canaveral FL | (Orbit) cachet on cover | OAO-3 launch (OAO-B image) |
| United States | 1972-08-21 | Kennedy Space Center FL | (Polonus Philatelic Society) cachet on cover | OAO-3 launch (OAO-B image) |
| United States | 1972-08-21 | Kennedy Space Center FL | (Centennial?) cachet on cover | OAO-3 launch (OAO-B image) |
1OAO-B was named Goddard in honour of the American rocketry pioneer Robert Goddard.
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