OAO

Orbiting Astronomical Observatory
(OAO) series satellites

This page contains philatelic information on the OAO (Orbiting Astronomical Observatory) 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 in the astronomical/telescope satellites page)		 Launch covers, anniversary-of-launch covers, and launch-related event covers
(farther below)		 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.).

CountryCatalog Number*Type of Item**Year of IssueNotes on Content
OAO
Benin502 (Mi256)1980OAO-3 / Copernicus
Benin502 proofDie proof
Bhutan151D (Mi551)Plastic overlaid1973OAO-3 / Copernicus
Central Africa Republic1174a (Mi1879)One of MS4 (1174 (a-d))1997OAO-3 / Copernicus
Chad709a (Mi1511)One of MS6 (709 (a-f))1997OAO-B (not OAO-3 / Copernicus)3
Chad923 (Mi2259)2001OAO-3 / Copernicus
Chad923a (BL326A)
i923a (BL326B)		SS1 (923)
Chad923a fdc
i923a fdc		On SS1 and cachet on FDC
Chad923b (Mi?)MS4 (4x 923)
Dominica2237c (Mi2904)One of MS6 (2237 (a-f))2000OAO-3 / Copernicus
Equatorial GuineaMi12761978OAO-1 (not Kosmos-894)2
Gambia799 (Mi819)1988OAO-3 / Copernicus
Ghana166a (BL9)In (upper-left) margin of imperforate MS4 (4x 166)1964OAO-21
Liberia657 (Mi900)1973OAO-3 / Copernicus
Maldive Islands488 (BL23)SS11974OAO-3 / Copernicus
MaliC301 (Mi570)1977OAO-1
PolandNoneCancel1973OAO-3 / Copernicus
Poland1979 (Mi?)Single + label1973OAO-3 / Copernicus
Poland1979a (BL53)MS6 (6x 1979 + 2 labels)
Poland2248a (Mi2539)On selvedge of MS6 (6x 2248 + 2 labels)1977OAO-3 / Copernicus
Poland2366 (Mi2660)1979OAO-3 / Copernicus
Poland2369a (BL80)On one of MS5 (2365-2369 + label)
Satellite Beach FL (U.S.)Localset-C10 (blue)1964OAO-1
Satellite Beach FL (U.S.)Localset-C10 (blue) overprinted in gold1965OAO-1
Sharjah42 (Mi54A)
i42 (Mi54B)		1964OAO-21
Sharjah42A
i42A		42 overprinted new currency
Togo500 (Mi446)1964OAO-1
Togo504 (Mi450)
Togo505a (BL17)Imperforate MS4 (502-505)
United Nations (Geneva)46 fdcCachet on FDC1975OAO-3
United StatesNone(Centennial?) cachet on OGO-5 launch cover1968OAO-21
United States1488 fdcCachet on FDC1973OAO-B (not OAO-3 / Copernicus)3
United StatesNoneCancel on postal card1973OAO-3
United StatesNone(Orbit) cachet on ANS launch cover1974OAO-1
Yemen Arab RepublicC86 (Mi1697)
C86_ds		Also imperforate deluxe sheet1982OAO-21

*Scott catalog number, unless prefixed with Mi or BL for Michel; "ds" prefix denotes deluxe sheet.
**FDC = first day cover; SS# = souvenir sheet, MS# = miniature sheet, where # = number of stamps in sheet, and the numbers in parentheses are the catalog numbers of the stamps in the sheet.

1These items are labeled as OAO-2 satellites based on the rectangular solar panels.
2OAO-1, not Kosmos-894 as indicated on this item.
3OAO-B, not OAO-3 / Copernicus as indicated on these items.

Below is a list of OAO-series launch covers, anniversary-of-launch covers, and launch-related event covers.

CountryCancel DateCancel LocationType of ItemNotes on Content
OAO-1
United States1966-04-08Kennedy Space Center FL(Typed) cachet on coverOAO-1 launch
United States1966-04-08Cape Canaveral FL(Sarzin) cachet on coverOAO-1 launch
United States1966-04-08Cape Canaveral FL(HJM/typed) cachet on coverOAO-1 launch
United States1966-04-08Patrick AFB, FL(SpaceCraft/Swanson) cachet on coverOAO-1 launch (OAO-2 image)
United States1966-04-08Cape Canaveral FL(SpaceCraft/Swanson) cachet on coverOAO-1 launch (OAO-2 image)
United States1966-04-08Cape Canaveral FL(Centennial?) cachet on coverOAO-1 launch (not Explorer-31)
OAO-2
United States1968-12-07Patrick AFB, FL (hand cancel)(SpaceCraft/Swanson) cachet on coverOAO-2 launch
United States1968-12-07Patrick AFB, FL (machine cancel)(SpaceCraft/Swanson) cachet on coverOAO-2 launch
United States1968-12-07Cape Canaveral FL (hand cancel)(SpaceCraft/Swanson) cachet on coverOAO-2 launch
United States1968-12-07Cape Canaveral FL (machine cancel)(SpaceCraft/Swanson) cachet on coverOAO-2 launch
United States1968-12-07Cape Canaveral FL(Centennial?) cachet on coverOAO-2 launch
United States1968-12-07Cape Canaveral FL(HJM/typed) cachet on coverOAO-2 launch
United States1968-12-07Cape Canaveral FL(Orbit) cachet on coverOAO-2 launch (OAO-1 image)
OAO-B
United States1970-11-30Cape Canaveral FL(Orbit) cachet on coverOAO-B launch [failed]
United States1970-11-30Kennedy Space Center FL (machine cancel)(Space Voyage) cachet on coverOAO-B launch [failed]
United States1970-11-30Kennedy Space Center FL (hand cancel)(Space Voyage) cachet on coverOAO-B launch [failed]
United States1970-11-30Cape Canaveral FL(Space Voyage) cachet on coverOAO-B launch [failed]
United States1970-11-30Patrick AFB, FL(Solar no.?) cachet on coverOAO-B launch [failed]
United States1970-11-30Cape Canaveral FL(Rubber-stamp) cachet on coverOAO-B launch [failed]
United States1970-11-30Cape Canaveral FL(Andromeda no.21) cachet on coverOAO-B launch [failed]
OAO-3
United States1972-08-21Kennedy Space Center FL(Space Voyage) cachet on coverOAO-3 launch
United States1972-08-21Kennedy Space Center FL(Space Voyage) cachet (different) on coverOAO-3 launch
United States1972-08-21Cape Canaveral FL(Space Voyage) cachet on coverOAO-3 launch
United States1972-08-21Greenbelt MD(GSFC) cachet on coverOAO-3 launch
United States1972-08-21Kennedy Space Center FL(Cygnus no.31/Andromeda) cachet on coverOAO-3 launch (OAO-B image)
United States1972-08-21Kennedy Space Center FL(Solar no.?) cachet on coverOAO-3 launch (OAO-B image)
United States1972-08-21Cape Canaveral FL(Orbit) cachet on coverOAO-3 launch (OAO-B image)
United States1972-08-21Kennedy Space Center FL(Polonus Philatelic Society) cachet on coverOAO-3 launch (OAO-B image)
United States1972-08-21Kennedy Space Center FL(Centennial?) cachet on coverOAO-3 launch (OAO-B image)

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Updated: 2009-07-16