NEAR

Near Earth Asteroid Rendezvous
(NEAR) / Shoemaker
(and other asteroid-exploration spacecraft)


This page contains philatelic information on the Near Earth Asteroid Rendezvous (NEAR) / Shoemaker (and other asteroid-exploration 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.

NEAR / Shoemaker is also known as Discovery-2, one of the NASA Discovery-series spacecraft.
Lucy is also known as Discovery-13, one of the NASA Discovery-series spacecraft.
Psyche is also known as Discovery-14, one of the NASA Discovery-series spacecraft.

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)
NEAR / Shoemaker NEAR / Shoemaker NEAR / Shoemaker
PROCYON
(JAXA)
PROCYON
(JAXA)
PROCYON
(JAXA)
Lucy Lucy Lucy
DART and LICIACube
(ESA-ASI)
DART and LICIACube
(ESA-ASI)
DART and LICIACube
(ESA-ASI)
DART (on other than DART launch covers)
Psyche Psyche Psyche
Hera
(ESA)
[future] Hera
(ESA)


Below is a list of NEAR / Shoemaker (and other asteroid-exploration spacecraft) postal items (stamps, souvenir sheets, aerogrammes, postal cards, etc.).

CountryCatalog NumberType of ItemYear of IssueNotes on Content
Near Earth Asteroid Rendezvous (NEAR) / Shoemaker
Burundi758g (Mi1854)One of MS12 (758 (a-l)) (Mi1848-1859)2000NEAR
GermanyNone(Pictorial) cancel on cover1970"NEAR"
GermanyNone(Pictorial) cancel and (black printed) cachet on cover1970"NEAR"
Grenada Carriacou2205c (Mi3193)One of MS6 (2205 (a-f)) (Mi3191-3196)2000"NEAR" (but Vega depicted)
Grenada Carriacou2206c (Mi3199)One of MS6 (2206 (a-f)) (Mi3197-3202)"NEAR"
Grenada Carriacou2206c essayOne of MS6 (2206 essay (a-f))
Guinea Republic2231 (Mi4050A)
i2231 (Mi4050B)

Imperforate
2003"NEAR"
Guinea Republic2231a (BL814A)
i2231a (BL814B)
SS1 (2231)
Imperforate SS1 (i2231)
Guinea Republic2231a fdcSS1 on FDC
Guinea Republic2231b (BL none)
i2231b
MS4 (4x 2231)
Imperforate MS4 (4x i2231)
Guinea Republic2231b fdcMS4 and (multi-color printed) cachet on FDC
Guinea RepublicMi7644AOne of MS6 (Mi7641A-7646A)2010NEAR
Guinea RepublicMi7641A-7647A fdcOne of seven stamps on FDC
Guinea RepublicMi7641A-7646A_ms6 fdc
Mi7641B-7646B_ms6 fdc
MS6 on FDC
Imperforate MS6 on FDC
MordoviaLocal_fOne of local post MS6 (a-f)1998NEAR
MordoviaLocal_ms fdcMS6 and (multi-color printed) cachet on FDC
PROCYON (JAXA)
Tuvalu1390 (BL264)Stamp from SS12017PROCYON (launch date in text)
Lucy
Sierra LeoneUnknown (Mi?)Stamp from SS12023"Lucy"
DART and LICIACube (ESA-ASI)
Central African RepublicMi13222-13225_ms4MS4 (Mi13222-13225)2022"DART"
Central African RepublicBL2707SS1 (Mi13226)
ChadMi6233-6236_ms4MS4 (Mi6233-6236 + 2 labels)2023"DART" and "LICIACube"
ChadBL1347SS1 (Mi6237)
DjiboutiMi5802-5804_ms3MS3 (Mi5802-5804)2022"DART" and "LICIACube"
DjiboutiBL1938SS1 (Mi5805) + label
DjiboutiBL1939SS1 (Mi5806) + label
LiberiaUnknown ms (Mi?)MS6 (a-f)2022"DART" and "LICIACube"; (see also orbital drawing and the two satellites in USA asteroid-impact cover 2022)
LiberiaUnknown ss (BL?)SS1
TogoUnknown ms (Mi?)MS4 (a-d) and 4 tabs2022"DART" and "LICIACube"
TogoUnknown ss (BL?)SS1
TogoUnknown ss (BL?)SS1 (different)
Psyche
Sierra LeoneUnknown (Mi?)Stamp from SS12023"Psyche"
Hera (ESA)
FranceUnknown(Lettre-verte) personalized postage, from booklet of 10 (10x single)2020(early-design?) "Hera" (stamp with green frame (as in the bk10) may be the original Lollini design, while the grey frame (as in the stamp) is a modification of that design by La Poste)
LuxembourgNonePersonalized postage2018Hera
LuxembourgNone maxiMaxicard
Sierra LeoneUnknown aOne of MS4 (a-d)2023"Hera"


Below is a list of NEAR / Shoemaker (and other asteroid-exploration spacecraft) launch covers (including anniversary-of-launch covers, and launch-related event covers).

CountryCancel DateCancel LocationType of ItemNotes on Content
1996-02-17: NEAR / Shoemaker
United States1996-02-17Barstow CA(Space Voyage purple and orange) cachet on coverNEAR launch
United States1996-02-17Barstow CA(Space Voyage purple and red) cachet on coverNEAR launch
United States1996-02-17Kennedy Space Center FL(Space Voyage green and red) cachet on coverNEAR launch
United States1996-02-17Kennedy Space Center FL(Space Voyage purple and red) cachet on coverNEAR launch
United States1996-02-17Laurel MD(Space Voyage brown and orange) cachet on coverNEAR launch
United States1996-02-17Laurel MD(Space Voyage brown and red) cachet on coverNEAR launch
NEAR (events)
United States1997-07-03Laurel MD(?) cachet on coverdeep space maneuver
United States2000-02-14Pasadena CA(Orange and red rubber-stamp) cachet on (airmail) coverentry into orbit around Eros
2014-12-03: PROCYON (and Hayabusa-2 and OSCAR-81/82) (JAXA)
No launch cover images available yet
2021-10-16: Lucy
United States2021-10-16Kennedy Space Center FL(Ranski) cachet on coverLucy launch
United States2021-10-16Cape Canaveral FL(Ranski) cachet on coverLucy launch
United States2021-10-16GSFC, Greenbelt MD(Red Eagle) cachet on coverLucy launch
United States2021-10-16Greenbelt MD(Lollini) cachet on coverLucy launch
United States2021-10-16Cape Canaveral FL(Lollini) cachet (different) on coverLucy launch
United States2021-10-16Greenbelt MD(Mission patch) cachet on coverLucy launch
United States2021-10-16Cape Canaveral FL(Mission patch) cachet on coverLucy launch
Lucy (events)
United States2023-11-01GSFC, Greenbelt MD(Red Eagle) cachet on cover"Lucy trojan asteroid explorer spacecraft Asteroid Dinkinesh flyby"
United States2023-11-01Ft. Irwin CA(Red Eagle) cachet on cover"Lucy trojan asteroid explorer spacecraft Asteroid Dinkinesh flyby"
DART and LICIACube (pre-launch events)
United States2021-11-19Vandenberg SFB, CA(Red Eagle) cachet on coverDART static test fire
2021-11-24: DART and LICIACube (ESA-ASI)
United States2021-11-23Vandenberg SFB, CA(Lollini) cachet on coverDART and LICIACube launch
United States2021-11-23Vandenberg SFB, CA(Ranski) cachet on cover, also backDART and LICIACube launch
United States2021-11-24Laurel MD(Lollini) cachet on coverDART and LICIACube launch
United States2021-11-24Vandenberg SFB, CA(Norwood Covers) cachet on coverDART and LICIACube launch
United States2021-11-24Laurel MD(SAS) cachet on coverDART and LICIACube launch
DART and LICIACube (events)
United States2022-09-26Irwin CA(Red Eagle) cachet on coverDART impacts asteroid moonlet Dimorphos
United States2022-09-26Houston TX(Galactic Space Covers) cachet on cover, also insert1 and insert2"DART asteroid impact", also "LICIACube" depicted in the cachet; (see also orbital drawing and the two satellites in Liberia Unknown ss 2022)
United States2022-09-26Kennedy Space Center FL(Ranski) cachet on cover, also back"DART ... impacts near-Earth asteroid Dimorphos"
DART (on other than DART launch covers)
United States2022-07-10Vandenberg SFB, CA(Red Eagle) cachet on Starlink-v1.5_G3-1-1/46 launch cover"DART" (in text only)
United States2022-10-28no cancel(Ranski) back of Starlink-v1.5_G4-31-1/53 cover, also front"DART"
2023-10-13: Psyche
United States2023-10-13Titusville FL(Sarmiento) cachet on coverPsyche launch
United States2023-10-13Titusville FL(Multi-color printed) cachet on coverPsyche launch
United States2023-10-13Cape Canaveral FL(Galactic Space Covers) cachet on cover, also backPsyche launch
United States2023-10-13Cape Canaveral FL(Galactic Space Covers) cachet (different) on cover, also backPsyche launch
United States2023-10-13Washington DC(Multi-color printed) cachet on cardPsyche launch
United States2023-10-13Washington DC(Multi-color printed) cachet (different) on cardPsyche launch
United States2023-10-13Washington DC(Blank/no) cachet on card, also backPsyche launch
United States2023-10-13Washington DC(Blank/no) cachet (different back) on card, also backPsyche launch
United States2023-10-13Washington DC(Blank/no) cachet (different back) on card, also backPsyche launch


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Updated: 2024-09-23