Muses-A / Hiten Muses-B / Haruka

Muses
series
spacecraft

Muses-C / Hayabusa Hayabusa-2
Muses-A / HitenMuses-B / HarukaMuses-C / HayabusaHayabusa-2

This page contains philatelic information on the Muses-series spacecraft. Catalog numbers, years of issue, and notes 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)
Muses-series lunar-exploration
(Japan)
Muses
(Japan)
Muses
(Japan)
Muses-series astronomical
(Japan)
Muses-series asteroid-exploration
(Japan)


Below is a list of Muses-series spacecraft postal items (stamps, souvenir sheets, aerogrammes, postal cards, etc.).

CountryCatalog NumberType of ItemYear of IssueNotes on Content
Muses (Japan)
BurundiBL500A
BL500B
In (upper-right) margin of SS1 (Mi3480A)
In (upper-right) margin of imperforate SS1 (Mi3480B)
2014"Hayabusa-2" (Muses-C follow-on)
Central African RepublicMi3820One of MS4 (Mi3817-3820)2012Hayabusa / Muses-C (not "Haybusa-2")
Central African RepublicMi3817-3120_ms4 fdcMS4 on FDC
Central African RepublicBL978In (lower) margin of SS1
Central African RepublicBL978 fdcSS1 and (multi-color printed) cachet on FDC
Congo RepublicUnknown ms (Mi none)MS2 (a-b) [known illegal issue]2019Hayabusa / Muses-C (not "Haybusa-2")
Congo RepublicUnknown ms fdcMS2 and (multi-color printed) cachet on FDCHayabusa / Muses-C (not "Haybusa-2") (in stamps); Hayabusa-2 / Muses-C follow-on (in cachet)
Congo RepublicUnknown ss (BL none)SS1 [known illegal issue]"Hayabusa-2" (Muses-C follow-on)
Congo RepublicUnknown ss fdcSS1 on FDC
Congo RepublicUnknown2 ss fdc(Multi-color printed) cachet on FDCHayabusa / Muses-C
Congo RepublicUnknown ms fdc(Multi-oolor printed) cachet on FDC
Djibouti1607 (BL1257)On stamp of SS12018"Hayabusa-2" (Muses-C follow-on)
France6100a (Mi8049)In (surrounding) margin of MS15 (15x 6100), also annotated2021Hayabusa-2 [#13]
Gambia3050 (BL703)
i3050
SS1
Imperforate SS1
2006"Muses-C" / "Hayabusa" (but incorrectly depicted above Saturn's moon Hyperion; it should be above the "Asteroid Itokawa")
Guinea RepublicBL1109A
BL1109B
In (upper-right) margin of SS1 (Mi4523A)
In (upper-right) margin of imperforate SS1 (Mi4523B)
2006"sonde spatiale Hayabusa" (Muses-C)
Guinea RepublicBL1109A fdcSS1 on FDC
Guinea-BissauMi4495A
Mi4495B
One of MS5 (Mi4492A-4496A)
One of imperforate MS5 (Mi4492B-4496B)
2009Muses-C / "Hayabusa"
Guinea-BissauMi4495A dsDeluxe sheet (Mi4495A)
Guinea-BissauMi4492A-4496A_ms5 fdcMS5 and (multi-color printed) cachet on FDC
Guyana3928 (Mi7845-7848)
i3928
MS4 (3928 (a-d))
Imperforate MS4 (i3928 (a-d))
2006Muses-C / "Hayabusa" (but incorrectly depicted above an unknown planetary object; it should be above the "Asteroid Itokawa"); (the launch (stamp 'a'); Muses-C crash-landed on Asteroid Itokawa (stamp 'c') but still managed to get back to Earth with a tiny amount of asteroid material (stamp 'd'))
Guyana3932 (BL802A)
i3932 (BL802B)
SS1
Imperforate SS1
Muses-C / "Hayabusa" (but incorrectly depicted above Saturn's moon Hyperion; it should be above the "Asteroid Itokawa")
Japan3017e (Mi4471)One of strip of 2 (3017e-f), or one of MS10 (3017 (a-j)) (Mi4467-4476)2008Muses-C / Hayabusa
Japan3017a-j fdcOne of ten stamps on FDC
JapanUnlisted1Frame stamp, from MS102014Asteroid Itokawa, and a rocket symbolizing the Muses-C mission (Muses-C crash-landed on Asteroid Itokawa but still managed to get back to Earth with a tiny amount of asteroid material)
JapanUnlisted2Frame stamp (different)
Japan2937a cover (Mi3898-3899 cover)(Pictorial) cancel and (JPS Stamp Club) cachet on cover2015Muses-C; also Asteroid Itokawa in the two stamps reproduced in the cachet (Muses-C crash-landed on Itokawa but still managed to get back to Earth with a tiny amount of asteroid material)
JapanNonePrinted stamp and (pictorial) cancel and (JPS Stamp Club) cachet on stamped envelope, also cachet detail2015Muses-C; also Asteroid Itokawa in the two stamps reproduced in the cachet (Muses-C crash-landed on Asteroid Itokawa but still managed to get back to Earth with a tiny amount of asteroid material)
Japan3017e-f cover (Mi4471-4472 cover)One of strip of 2 on cover (Cosmopex/JPS Space Stamp Club cachet)2016Muses-C / Hayabusa
Japan3017e-f cover1 (Mi4471-4472 cover1)One of strip of 2 and (pictorial) cancel and (Cosmopex/JPS Space Stamp Club) cachet on cover2020Muses-C / Hayabusa (on stamp), Muses-C follow-on / Hayabusa-2 (in cancels and in cachet of cover1)
Japan3017e-f cover2 (Mi4471-4472 cover2)One of strip of 2 and (pictorial) cancel on postcard
JapanNone(Cosmopex 2020) poster2020Muses-C follow-on / Hayabusa-2
Korea (North)4868 (BL728)On label1 and in (lower-left) margin of MS2 (4868 (a-b + 2 labels))2009Muses-C / Hayabusa
Korea (North)4868c (BL729)In (lower-left) margin of SS1 (4868a)
Malagasy (DR)1051 (BL175)In (upper) margin of SS11992"Muses-A" / Hiten
Niger843Bc (BL78A)
i843Bc (BL78B)
In (upper-right) margin of SS1 (843B)
In (upper-right) margin of imperforate SS1 (i843B)
1991"Muses-A" / Hiten launch
St. Thomas and Prince Islands2097 (Mi4068-4071)
i2097
In (lower-center) margin of MS4 (a-d)
In (lower-center) margin of imperforate MS4 (a-d)
2009Muses-B / Haruka / "HALCA"
St. Thomas and Prince Islands2097 fdcMS4 and (multi-color printed) cachet on FDC
St. Thomas and Prince Islands2120 fdc (BL692 fdc)(Multi-color printed) cachet on FDC2009Muses-B / Haruka / HALCA
St. Thomas and Prince Islands2138 (Mi4135-4138)In (lower-center) margin of MS4 (a-d)2009Muses-A / "Hiten"
St. Thomas and Prince Islands2138 fdcMS4 on FDC
Sierra LeoneUnknown c (Mi?)One of MS4 (a-d)2023"Hayabusa-2"
Sierra LeoneUnknown ss (BL?)In (upper) margin of SS1
Tanzania2445 (BL593)SS12006"Muses-C" / Hayabusa
Togo2032 (Mi3313)2006Muses-C / "Hayabusa"
Tuvalu1389 (Mi2322-2325)MS4 (1389 (a-d))2017Hayabusa / Muses-C (not "Hayabusa-2"); "MINERVA1-2", "MASCOT1"
Tuvalu1389 fdcMS4 and (multi-color printed) cachet on FDC
Tuvalu1389 proofSigned-proof MS4 (a-d)
Tuvalu1390 (BL264)SS1, with stampHayabusa / Muses-C (not "Hayabusa-2"); "MINERVA1-2", "MASCOT1" (launch date in text)

1Hayabusa-2 carried MINERVA-2, a container with three small rovers designed to be deployed on an asteroid's surface, and MASCOT, a fourth rover, larger than the others, that carried its own set of scientific instruments. On 21 September 2018, Hayabusa-2 ejected the first two rovers from MINERVA-2 (Rovers 1A and 1B), from about 55 m above asteroid Ryugu. They fell independently to the surface.


Below is a list of Muses-series spacecraft launch covers (including anniversary-of-launch covers, and launch-related event covers).

CountryCancel DateCancel LocationType of ItemNotes on Content
Muses (Japan)
1990-01-24: Muses-A / Hiten and Hagoromo
Japan1990-01-24Usuda(Space Voyage) cachet on coverMuses-A launch
1997-02-12: Muses-B / Haruka / HALCA
No launch cover images available yet
2003-05-09: Muses-C / Hayabusa, MINERVA
Australia2003-05-09Uchinoura, Kagoshima(Silk) cachet on coverMuses-C launch (Eutelsat-1-F4 and Aussat-A/Optus-B depicted) [silk portion of cachet also found on this Eutelsat-1-F4 and Aussat-A3 cover and this Eutelsat-1-F4 and Aussat-A3 cover]
Muses-C (events)
Australia2010-06-13Woomera SA(Multi-color printed) cachet on coverSRC (Sample Recovery Capsule) return
Australia2010-06-13Woomera SA(Multi-color printed) cachet (different) on coverSRC (Sample Recovery Capsule) return
2014-12-03: Muses-C follow-on / Hayabusa-2 (and OSCAR-81/82 and PROCYON)
No launch cover images available yet
Hayabusa-2 (events)
United States2018-06-12Pasadena CA(Red Eagle) cachet on cover"Hayabusa-2 approaches Asteroid 'Ryugu'"
United States2018-09-21Pasadena CA(Red Eagle) cachet on cover"Hayabusa-2 Rovers landing"
France2018-10-03Tolouse-Rangueil, Haute-Garonne(Association La Marianne) cachet on cover"MASCOT lands on the asteroid Ryugu" (in French text)
United States2018-10-26Pasadena CA(Red Eagle) cachet on cover"Hayabusa-2 Box-C operations"
United States2018-11-22Pasadena CA(Red Eagle) cachet on cover"Hayabusa-2 conjunction transition orbit"
United States2018-11-29Pasadena CA(Red Eagle) cachet on coverHayabusa-2 "first Trajectory Control Maneuver (TCM01)"
United States2019-03-20Pasadena CA(Red Eagle) cachet on cover"Hayabusa-2 crater search operation"
United States2019-04-02Pasadena CA(Red Eagle) cachet on cover"Hayabusa-2 begins SCI operation"
United States2019-07-11Pasadena CA(Red Eagle) cachet on cover"Hayabusa-2 touch down" on asteroid Ryugu, and sample collection
United States2019-10-08Pasadena CA(Red Eagle) cachet on cover"Hayabusa-2 Minerva mission completion"
United States2020-10-22Pasadena CA(Red Eagle) cachet on cover"Hayabusa-2 return trajectory course maneuver-1"
Finland2020-12-06Kerava(SVP) cachet on cover"Hayabusa-2 ... re-entry capsule returned to Earth"


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Updated: 2024-12-21