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A-train
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A-train
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This page contains philatelic information on the A-train constellation 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.
There have been as many as 7 different satellites in the A-train constellation, but a maximum of only 6 at one time: EOS-Aqua, EOS-Aura1, CloudSat, CALIPSO, PARASOL, OCO-2, and GCOM-W. An 8th satellite, Glory, failed upon launch in 2011 and was therefore never part of the A-train. PARASOL, CloudSat, and CALIPSO, are no longer part of the A-train, leaving the satellite count at four.
| Date | Event | Number of satellites in the A-train constellation |
|---|---|---|
| Satellite events and a count of the number of satellites in the A-train over time | ||
| 2002-05-04 | EOS-Aqua launch | 1 |
| 2004-07-15 | EOS-Aura launch | 2 |
| 2004-12-18 | PARASOL launch | 3 |
| 2006-04-28 | CloudSat and CALIPSO launch | 5 |
| 2009-02-24 | OCO-1 launch failure | 5 |
| 2009-12-02 | PARASOL moved to lower orbit | 4 |
| 2011-03-04 | Glory launch failure | 4 |
| 2012-05-17 | GCOM-W launch | 5 |
| 2014-07-02 | OCO-2 launch | 6 |
| 2018-02-22 | CloudSat moved to C-train | 5 |
| 2018-09-18 | CALIPSO moved to C-train | 4 |
CloudSat is also known as ESSP-4, one of the NASA ESSP-series satellites.
CALIPSO is also known as ESSP-3, one of the NASA ESSP-series satellites.
OCO [failed] or its replacement OCO-2 is also known as ESSP-5, one of the NASA ESSP-series satellites.
| 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) |
|---|---|---|
| EOS-series | EOS-series | EOS-series |
| EOS (on other than EOS launch covers) | ||
| PARASOL (France) | PARASOL (France) | PARASOL (France) |
| CloudSat | CloudSat | CloudSat |
| CALIPSO (France-USA) | CALIPSO (France-USA) | CALIPSO (France-USA) |
| OCO | OCO | OCO |
| Glory | Glory | Glory |
| GCOM-W / Shizuku (JAXA) | GCOM-W / Shizuku (JAXA) | GCOM-W / Shizuku (JAXA) |
Below is a list of A-train constellation postal items (stamps, souvenir sheets, aerogrammes, postal cards, etc.).
| Country | Catalog Number | Type of Item | Year of Issue | Notes on Content |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Earth Observing System (EOS) Aqua and Aura1 (and Terra)2 | ||||
| Guinea Republic | BL899A BL899B | In (upper-left) margin of MS2 (Mi4186A-4187A) In (upper-left) margin of imperforate MS2 (Mi4186B-4187B) | 2005 | EOS-"Terra"2 |
| Guinea Republic | BL899B fdc | Imperforate MS2 on FDC | ||
| Guinea Republic | Mi5866A-5871A_ms6 Mi5866B-5871B_ms6 | In (upper-right) margin of MS6 (Mi5866A-5871A) In (upper-right) margin of imperforate MS6 (Mi5866B-5871B) | 2008 | EOS-"Aura"1 |
| Iceland | 1152 (BL45) | In (upper-right) margin of SS1 | 2008 | EOS-"Terra"2 |
| Iceland | 1152 fdc | SS1 and (pictorial) cancel and (Iceland Post) cachet on FDC | ||
| Malagasy (DR) | 1047b (BL178A) i1047b (BL178B) | In (lower-left) margin of SS1 (1047) In (lower-left) margin of imperforate SS1 (i1047) | 1992 | (early-design) EOS-Terra2 |
| Madagascar | Unknown a (Mi none) | Two stamps and in (lower) margin of MS4 (a-d) [known illegal issue] | 2019 | "Aqua" |
| Madagascar | Unknown b (Mi none) | "Aura"1 | ||
| Madagascar | Unknown ms fdc | MS4 and (Lollini) cachet on FDC | (As above for stamps); also (poorly-depicted) Aqua (in the cachet of the MS4 fdc) | |
| Madagascar | Unknown a-d+ fdc | Two of five stamps on FDC (Lollini cachet) | ||
| Maldive Islands | 2895c (Mi4542) | From MS4 (2895 (a-d)) (Mi4540-4543) From imperforate MS4 (i2895 (a-d)) | 2006 | EOS-"Aqua" |
| Maldive Islands | 2895d (Mi4543) | EOS-"Aura"1 | ||
| Sierra Leone | 2871d (Mi4976) | One of MS4 (2871 (a-d)) (Mi4973-4976) One of imperforate MS4 (i2871 (a-d)) | 2006 | EOS-"Aqua" and EOS-"Aura"1 (depicted in A-train) |
| Tanzania | 2444 (BL592) | SS1 | 2007 | EOS-Aqua, EOS-Aura1 (depicted in A-train) |
| United States | None | (Pictorial) cancel on cover | 2008 | EOS-"Aura"1 |
| Polarization and Anisotropy of Reflectances for Atmospheric Science coupled with Observations from a Lidar (PARASOL) (France) | ||||
| Sierra Leone | 2871d (Mi4976) | One of MS4 (2871 (a-d)) (Mi4973-4976) One of imperforate MS4 (i2871 (a-d)) | 2006 | "PARASOL" (depicted in A-train) |
| Tanzania | 2444 (BL592) | SS1 | 2007 | PARASOL (depicted in A-train) |
| CLOUD SATellite (CloudSat) | ||||
| Antigua and Barbuda | 2926 (BL633) | In (upper-left) margin of SS1 | 2006 | "CloudSat" |
| Guyana | 3931 (BL804) i3931 | In (upper-right) margin of SS1 In (upper-right) margin of imperforate SS1 | 2006 | "CloudSat" |
| Maldive Islands | 2895b (Mi4541) | One of MS4 (2895 (a-d)) (Mi4540-4543) One of imperforate MS4 (i2895 (a-d)) | 2006 | "CloudSat" |
| St. Thomas and Prince Islands | Unknown d (Mi none) Unknown id | One of MS4 (a-d) [known illegal issue] One of imperforate MS4 (a-d) | 2005 | CloudSat |
| St. Thomas and Prince Islands | Unknown ms fdc Unknown ims fdc | MS4 and (multi-color printed) cachet on FDC Imperforate MS4 and (multi-color printed) cachet on FDC | ||
| St. Thomas and Prince Islands | Unknown ms (Mi none) Unknown ims | In (upper-left) margin of MS9 (a-i) [known illegal issue] In (upper-left) margin of imperforate MS9 (a-i) | 2006 | CloudSat |
| St. Thomas and Prince Islands | Unknown ms fdc Unknown ims fdc | MS9 on FDC Imperforate MS9 on FDC | ||
| Sierra Leone | 2871a (Mi4973) | On three of four stamps and in (upper-left) margin of MS4 (2871 (a-d)) (Mi4973-4976) On three of four stamps and in (upper-left) margin of imperforate MS4 (i2871 (a-d)) | 2006 | CloudSat launch |
| Sierra Leone | 2871c (Mi4975) | (early-design) "CloudSat" | ||
| Sierra Leone | 2871d (Mi4596) | "CloudSat" (depicted in A-train) | ||
| Tanzania | 2444 (BL592) | SS1 | 2007 | "CloudSat" (depicted in A-train) |
| Tuvalu | 1013 (BL133) | In (upper-left) margin of SS1 | 2006 | "CloudSat" (and partial depiction) |
| Cloud-Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observation (CALIPSO) (France-USA) | ||||
| Antigua and Barbuda | 2926 (BL633) | SS1 | 2006 | "CALIPSO" |
| Congo Republic | Unknown ss (BL none) | SS1 [known illegal issue] | 2017 | "CALIPSO" |
| Congo Republic | Unknown ss (BL none) | SS1 (different) [known illegal issue] | ||
| Congo Republic | Unknown ss fdc | SS1 and (Congo Post) cachet on FDC | ||
| Congo Republic | Unknown ms (Mi none) | MS2 (a-b + 2 labels) [known illegal issue] | ||
| Guyana | 3931 (BL804) i3931 | SS1 Imperforate SS1 | 2006 | "CALIPSO" |
| Madagascar | Unknown c (Mi none) | One stamp and in (lower) margin of MS4 (a-d) [known illegal issue] | 2019 | "CALIPSO" |
| Madagascar | Unknown ms fdc | MS4 and (Lollini) cachet on FDC | ||
| Madagascar | Unknown a-d+ fdc | One of five stamps on FDC (Lollini cachet) | ||
| Madagascar | Unknown ss fdc | (Two printed) cachets on FDC | ||
| Maldive Islands | 2895a (Mi4540) | One of MS4 (2895 (a-d)) (Mi4540-4543) One of imperforate MS4 (i2895 (a-d)) | 2006 | "CALIPSO" |
| St. Thomas and Prince Islands | Unknown ms fdc Unknown ims fdc | (Multi-color printed) cachet on FDC (Multi-color printed) cachet on imperforate-stamped FDC | 2006 | CALIPSO |
| Sierra Leone | 2871a (Mi4973) | On three of four stamps and in (upper-right) margin of MS4 (2871 (a-d)) (Mi4973-4976) On three of four stamps and in (upper-right) margin of imperforate MS4 (i2871 (a-d)) | 2006 | CALIPSO launch |
| Sierra Leone | 2871b (Mi4974) | "CALIPSO" | ||
| Sierra Leone | 2871d (Mi4976) | "CALIPSO" (depicted in A-train) | ||
| Tanzania | 2444 (BL592) | SS1 | 2007 | "CALIPSO" (depicted in A-train) |
| Togo | 2035f (Mi3321) i2035f | One of MS6 (2035 (a-f)) (Mi3316-3321) One of imperforate MS6 (i2035 (a-f)) | 2006 | "CALIPSO" |
| Tuvalu | 1013 (BL133) | On stamp and in (right) margin of SS1 | 2006 | "CALIPSO" |
| Orbiting Carbon Observatory (OCO) | ||||
| Mozambique | BL976 | In (upper-center) margin of SS1 | 2014 | "Orbiting Carbon Observatory-2" (OCO-2) |
| Sierra Leone | 2871d (Mi4976) | One of MS4 (2871 (a-d)) (Mi4973-4976) One of imperforate MS4 (i2871 (a-d)) | 2006 | "OCO"-1 (depicted in A-train) |
| Glory [failed] | ||||
| No (non-launch cover) postal items found | ||||
| GCOM-W / Shizuku (JAXA) | ||||
| No (non-launch cover) postal items found | ||||
1The USA EOS-Aura from 2004 should not be confused with the French D-series satellite (D-2B / Aura) from 1975, which goes by the same name.
2EOS-Terra is the "morning" complement to the "afternoon" EOS-Aqua, therefore it is not part of the A-train satellite constellation.
Below is a list of A-train constellation launch covers (including anniversary-of-launch covers, and launch-related event covers).
| Country | Cancel Date | Cancel Location | Type of Item | Notes on Content |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Earth Observing System (EOS) | ||||
| 1999-12-18: EOS-Terra2 | ||||
| United States | 1999-12-18 | Vandenberg AFB, Lompoc CA | (Multi-color printed) cachet on cover | EOS-Terra launch2 |
| United States | 1999-12-18 | Vandenberg AFB, Lompoc CA | (Multi-color printed) cachet (different) on cover | EOS-Terra launch2 |
| United States | 1999-12-18 | Lompoc CA, Vandenberg AFB | (JPL Stamp Club) cachet on cover | EOS-Terra launch2 |
| United States | 1999-12-18 | Pasadena CA | (JPL Stamp Club) cachet on cover | EOS-Terra launch2 |
| 2002-05-04: EOS-Aqua | ||||
| United States | 2002-05-04 | Vandenberg AFB, Lompoc CA | (JPL Stamp Club) cachet on cover | EOS-Aqua launch |
| United States | 2002-05-04 | Pasadena CA | (JPL Stamp Club) cachet on cover | EOS-Aqua launch |
| United States | 2002-05-04 | Pasadena CA | (Blue and green rubber-stamp) cachet on cover | EOS-Aqua launch |
| EOS-Aqua (events) | ||||
| United States | 2018-10-26 | GSFC, Greenbelt MD | (Red Eagle) cachet on cover | "Aqua satellite tracks super Typhoon Yutu" |
| 2004-07-15: EOS-Aura1 | ||||
| United States | 2004-07-15 | Vandenberg AFB, Lompoc CA | (Multi-color printed) cachet on cover | EOS-Aura launch |
| United States | 2004-07-15 | Vandenberg AFB, Lompoc CA | (Multi-color printed) cachet (different) on cover | EOS-Aura launch |
| United States | 2004-07-15 | Vandenberg AFB, Lompoc CA | (SCP mission-patch sticker) cachet on cover | EOS-Aura launch |
| United States | 2004-07-15 | Pasadena CA | (JPL rubber-stamp) cachet on cover | EOS-Aura launch |
| United States | 2004-07-15 | Pasadena CA | (JPL Stamp Club) cachet on cover | EOS-Aura launch |
| EOS (on other than EOS launch covers) | ||||
| French Guiana | 2011-08-06 | Kourou | (Association Philatélique du C.E. SPS) cachet on BSat-3C and Astra-1N launch cover | Image of Florida and the Gulf of Mexico taken by "Satellite [EOS] Aqua" |
| French Guiana | 2011-09-21 | Kourou | (Association Philatélique du C.E. SPS) cachet on Arabsat-5C and SES-2 launch cover, also back | "satellite [EOS] Terra" |
| French Guiana | 2012-05-15 | Kourou | (Association Philatélique du C.E. SPS) cachet on JCSat-13 and Vinasat-2 launch cover | "Éruption de l'Etna, 2002, satellite (EOS) Terra" |
| 2004-12-18: Polarization and Anisotropy of Reflectances for Atmospheric Science coupled with Observations from a Lidar (PARASOL) (and Helios-2A and Essaim-1/4 and Nanosat-01) | ||||
| French Guiana | 2004-12-18? | Kourou | (Association Philatélique du C.E. SPS) cachet on cover | PARASOL launch |
| French Guiana | 2004-12-18 | Kourou | (Conseil de l'Europe) cachet on cover | PARASOL launch |
| French Guiana | 2004-12-18 | Kourou | (Lollini) cachet on cover | PARASOL launch |
| French Southern and Antarctic Territories | 2004-12-18 | Port aux Français, Îles Kerguelen | (Multi-color printed) cachet on cover | PARASOL launch |
| French Southern and Antarctic Territories | 2004-12-18 | Port aux Français, Îles Kerguelen | (Multi-color printed) cachet (different) on cover | PARASOL launch |
| 2006-04-28: CLOUD SATellite (CloudSat) (and CALIPSO) | ||||
| United States | 2006-04-28 | Vandenberg AFB, CA | (Multi-color printed) cachet on cover | CloudSat (and CALIPSO) launch |
| United States | 2006-04-28 | Pasadena CA | (JPL Stamp Club) cachet on cover | CloudSat (and CALIPSO) launch |
| United States | 2006-04-28 | Vandenberg AFB, CA | (JPL Stamp Club) cachet on cover | CloudSat (and CALIPSO) launch |
| United States | 2006-04-28 | Pasadena CA | (JPL rubber-stamp) cachet on cover | CloudSat (and CALIPSO) launch |
| 2006-04-28: Cloud-Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observation (CALIPSO) (and CloudSat) | ||||
| United States | 2006-04-28 | Vandenberg AFB, CA | (Multi-color printed) cachet on cover | CALIPSO (and CloudSat) launch |
| United States | 2006-04-28 | Pasadena CA | (JPL Stamp Club) cachet on cover | CALIPSO (and CloudSat) launch |
| United States | 2006-04-28 | Vandenberg AFB, CA | (JPL Stamp Club) cachet on cover | CALIPSO (and CloudSat) launch |
| United States | 2006-04-28 | Pasadena CA | (JPL rubber-stamp) cachet on cover | CALIPSO (and CloudSat) launch |
| Orbiting Carbon Observatory (OCO) | ||||
| 2009-02-24: OCO-1 [failed] | ||||
| United States | 2009-02-24 | Vandenberg AFB, Lompoc CA | (Mission 57) cachet on cover, also back | OCO-1 launch [failed] |
| United States | 2009-02-24 | Pasadena CA | (JPL Stamp Club) cachet on cover | OCO-1 launch [failed] |
| 2014-07-02: OCO-2 | ||||
| United States | 2014-07-02 | Vandenberg AFB, CA | (Lollini) cachet on cover | OCO-2 launch |
| United States | 2014-07-02 | Vandenberg AFB, CA | (Multi-color printed) cachet on cover | OCO-2 launch |
| 2019-05-04 (launched to ISS) [with Dragon-CRS-17] 2019-? (attached to ISS): OCO-3 and STP-H6 (and others) |
||||
| United States | 2019-05-04 | Hawthorne CA | (Red Eagle) cachet on cover | Dragon-CRS-17 launch (with OCO-3 and others) |
| United States | 2019-05-04 | Kennedy Space Center FL | (Red Eagle) cachet on cover | Dragon-CRS-17 launch (with OCO-3 and others) |
| United States | 2019-05-04 | Houston TX | (Ranski) cachet on cover | Dragon-CRS-17 launch (with OCO-3 and others) |
| United States | 2019-05-04 | Cape Canaveral FL | (Ranski) cachet on cover | Dragon-CRS-17 launch (with OCO-3 and others) |
| United States | 2019-05-04 | Cape Canaveral FL | (Ranski) cachet (different) on cover | Dragon-CRS-17 launch (with OCO-3 and others) |
| United States | 2019-05-04 | Kennedy Space Center FL | (Ranski) cachet on cover | Dragon-CRS-17 launch (with OCO-3 and others) |
| United States | 2019-05-04 | Kennedy Space Center FL | (Ranski) cachet (different) on cover | Dragon-CRS-17 launch (with OCO-3 and others) |
| United States | 2019-05-04 | Houston TX | (Ranski) cachet on cover | Dragon-CRS-17 launch (with OCO-3 and others) |
| United States | 2019-05-06 | Kennedy Space Center FL | (Red Eagle) cachet on cover | Dragon-CRS-17 docking with the ISS (with OCO-3 and others) |
| 2011-03-04: Glory (and Hermes and KySat-1 and E1P) [failed] | ||||
| United States | 2011-03-04 | Vandenberg AFB, CA | (Lollini) cachet on cover | Glory launch [failed] |
| United States | 2011-03-04 | Vandenberg AFB, CA | (Mission 57) cachet on cover, also back | Glory launch [failed]; "The A-train currently includes Aqua, Aura, CALIPSO and Cloudsat" (on cover back) |
| United States | 2011-03-04 | Vandenberg AFB, CA | (Mission 57) cachet (different) on cover, also back | Glory launch (but Hermes and KySat-1 and E1P depicted) [failed] |
| United States | 2011-03-04 | Vandenberg Contract Station, Lompoc CA | (RES&C) cachet on cover | Glory launch [failed] |
| 2012-05-17: GCOM-W / Shizuku (and Kompsat-3 and SDS-3 and Horyu-2) | ||||
| No launch cover images available yet | ||||
1The USA EOS-Aura from 2004 should not be confused with the French D-series satellite (D-2B / Aura) from 1975, which goes by the same name.
2EOS-Terra is the "morning" complement to the "afternoon" EOS-Aqua, but it is not part of the A-train satellite constellation.
3OCO-3 is not part of the A-train satellite constellation; it is mounted on the ISS which has an orbit that is different than the A-train.
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