|
Mercury
|
|---|
|
|
Mercury
|
|---|
This page contains philatelic information on the Mercury [un-manned only] program spacecraft. Catalog numbers, years of issue, and notes on the spacecraft 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 program missions which resulted in an orbited payload AND which were un-manned missions. Sub-orbital Mercury [un-manned only] program 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 [un-manned only] | Mercury [un-manned only] | Mercury [un-manned only] |
Below is a list of Mercury [un-manned only] program spacecraft postal items (stamps, souvenir sheets, aerogrammes, postal cards, etc.).
| Country | Catalog Number | Type of Item | Year of Issue | Notes on Content |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mercury [un-manned only] and pre-Mercury | ||||
| St. Thomas and Prince Islands | Mi9916-9919_ms4 | MS4 (Mi9916-9919), or MS4 (Mi9916-9919, with perforations in margins) | 2021 | "60th anniv. Mercury-Redstone 2" mission that carried the chimpanzee "Ham" |
| St. Thomas and Prince Islands | BL1731 | SS1 (Mi9920) | ||
| St. Vincent | 4231b (Mi?) | From MS4 (4231 (a-d)) | 2021 | On 31 January 1966, the chimpanzee "Ham" traveled in the Mercury MR-2 capsule to an altitude of 251 km in a sub-orbital rocket mission; the stamp design with "Ham" and a handler is based on this photo |
| St. Vincent | 4231d (Mi?) | The Mercury-MA-5 launch of chimpanzee Enos into orbit on 29 November 1961 is based on this photo | ||
| St. Vincent | 4232 (BL?) | SS1 | MR-2 capsule, from this photo; on 31 January 1966, the chimpanzee "Ham" traveled in the capsule to an altitude of 251 km in a sub-orbital rocket mission | |
| United States | 1193 fdc1 (Mi822 fdc1) | (Multi-color printed) cachet on FDC | 1962 | "Project Mercury MA-5 first chimpanzee [Enos] in orbit" |
| United States | 1193 fdc2 (Mi822 fdc2) | (Multi-color printed) cachet on FDC | "Astrochimp 'Ham' was the first chimpanzee launched into sub-orbital space aboard Mercury-MR2 on 31 Jan 1961" | |
| United States | C45+1204 cover (Mi?+? cover) | (Ernie Crager) cachet on cover | 1962 | Mercury MA-5 launch of "'Enos' 11-29-1961" |
| United States | 1193+1031 cover (Mi822+? cover) | (Ernie Crager) cachet on cover | 1963 | Mercury MA-5 launch of "'Enos' 11-29-1961" |
| United States | 1474 fdc (Mi1090 fdc) | (Ernie Crager) cachet on cover | 1972 | Mercury MA-5 launch of "'Enos' 11-29-1961" |
Below is a list of Mercury [un-manned only] program spacecraft 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 only] | ||||
| 1961-02-21: Mercury-MA-2 [sub-orbital] | ||||
| United States | 1961-02-21 | Port Canaveral FL | (Sarzin) cachet on cover | Mercury-MA-2 successful test flight from Cape Canaveral; reached 183 km; the capsule was recovered 2305 km downrange |
| United States | 1961-02-21 | Port Canaveral FL | (Swanson/DuBeau? black and magenta rubber-stamp and red printed) cachet on (airmail) cover | |
| 1961-04-25: Mercury-MA-3 [sub-orbital] | ||||
| United States | 1961-04-25 | Patrick AFB, FL | (Swanson black and magenta rubber-stamp) cachet (and signature) on cover | Mercury-MA-3 test flight from Cape Canaveral. The roll-and-pitch sequence failed to initiate and the RSO destroyed the rocket 43 seconds after the launch when it was at an altitude of 7 km. The escape tower activated when the destruct command was sent and lofted the Mercury spacecraft to safety. It descended by parachute to the Atlantic where it was recovered and eventually re-used. This was the first Mercury-Atlas launch with a live escape tower and the Mercury team were at least able to verify the reliability of the launch escape system as a result of the failure. |
| United States | 1961-04-25 | Patrick AFB, FL | (C. Swanson blue rubber-stamp) cachet on cover | |
| 1961-09-13: Mercury-MA-4 | ||||
| United States | 1961-09-13 | Port Canaveral FL | (Sarzin) cachet on cover | Mercury-MA-4 launch |
| United States | 1961-09-13 | Patrick AFB, FL | (SpaceCraft) cachet on cover | Mercury-MA-4 launch |
| United States | 1961-09-13 | Port Canaveral FL | (Harry Gordon) cachet on (airmail) 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 splashdown/recovery (on 13 Sep 1961) |
| 1961-11-01: Mercury-MS-11 [failed] | ||||
| United States | 1961-11-01 | Patrick AFB, FL | (C. Swanson magenta rubber-stamp) cachet on cover | Mercury-MS-1 launch [failed] |
| United States | 1961-11-01 | Patrick AFB, FL | (C. Swanson purple rubber-stamp) cachet (and signature) on cover | Mercury-MS-1 launch [failed] |
| 1961-11-29: Mercury-MA-5 (chimp "Enos") | ||||
| 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 | (SpaceCraft) cachet (and signature) on cover | Mercury-MA-5 launch |
| United States | 1961-11-29 | Patrick AFB, FL | (C. Swanson green rubber-stamp) cachet on (airmail) cover | Mercury-MA-5 launch |
| United States | 1961-11-29 | Port Canaveral FL | (Sarzin) cachet on cover | Mercury-MA-5 launch |
| United States | 1961-11-29 | Port Canaveral FL | (Sarzin) cachet (different) on cover | Mercury-MA-5 launch |
| United States | 1961-11-29 | Port Canaveral FL | (Goldcraft Cachets) cachet on cover | Mercury-MA-5 launch |
| United States | 1961-11-29 | Port Canaveral FL | (Alfred Lonky) cachet on cover | Mercury-MA-5 launch |
| United States | 1961-11-29 | Port Canaveral FL | (Zaso black printed) cachet on cover | Mercury-MA-5 launch |
| Mercury-MA-5 (events) | ||||
| United States | 1961-12-01 | Patrick AFB, FL | (C. Swanson magenta rubber-stamp and black typed) cachet on cover | "Enos returned to the Eastern Test Range for a round of physicals" |
| Mercury-MA-5 (anniversaries) | ||||
| United States | 2016-11-29 | Sagamore Beach MA | (Coverscape) cachet on cover | 55th anniv. Mercury-MA-5 launch |
| 1962-10-03: Mercury-MA-8 [manned] | ||||
| United States | 1962-08-11 | Patrick AFB, FL | (Sokalsky red, and black typed) cachet on cover | Mercury-MA-8 pre-launch event |
Back to Manned-related spacecraft.
Back to Un-manned Satellite Philately.
