General references to satellites

	General references to satellites

Below is a checklist of General references to satellites on postal items (stamps, souvenir sheets, aerogrammes, postal cards, etc.). Catalog numbers, years of issue, and notes on the items 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.

Items on this page do not contain direct references to specific satellites, otherwise such items are listed on the pages for those satellites.

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)
General references to satellites	General references to satellites

Below is a list of General references to satellites on postal items (stamps, souvenir sheets, aerogrammes, postal cards, etc.).

Country Catalog Number Type of Item Year of Issue Notes on Content
General references to satellites
Aland (Finland) Unknown fdc (Mi? fdc) (Green printed) cachet on FDC 2021 "Satellitmeteorologi"
Chile 1110a cover (Mi1610-1611 cover) (Multi-color printed) cachet on cover 1994? German Antarctic Receiving Station (GARS) at O'Higgins Base, Antarctica (GARS was established in 1991 as a data downlink site for ERS-1 and ERS-2. Since 2010, it has served as the main downlink and uplink station for the German TerraSAR-X and TanDEM-X satellites.)
China (People's Republic) 2818-2821 fdc (Mi2865-2868 fdc) (China National Philatelic Corporation) back of FDC, also front 1997 "satellite telecommunication"
France 1657 fdc (Mi2168 fdc) (Éditions P.J.) cachet on FDC 1979 Two symbolic orbits for communications satellites (as part of the Telecom'79/ITU theme of the stamp)
France 1657 maxi (Mi2168 maxi) (Éditions P.J.) maxicard
France 1862 sc (Mi2386 sc) (Éditions P.J.) cachet on FDC 1983 "satellites artificiels"
France 2254-2255 sc1 (Mi2834-2835 sc1) Souvenir card 1991 The location of the Guyana Space Centre, close the the equator, is "ideal for launching satellites into geostationary orbit" (in French text)
France 2254-2255 sc2 (Mi2834-2835 sd2) Souvenir card (different)
Great Britain 1375a+1377a fdc (Mi1337-1340 fdc) Insert from FDC, also front (Benham cachet, and second cancel for 30th anniv. Gagarin's flight) 1991 "Foremost among applications satellites are those for communications"; "There are also weather satellites which give us extremely accurate forecasts by relaying pictures of clouds to the weather stations. Hurricanes can be predicted some three days sooner by this means"; "Satellites have enabled scientists to study much more accurately the upper atmosphere"; "Ordnance survey and navigation have also been improved by using ... satellite[s]; "Space [satellites ... are] also in use for military objectives. Spy satellites can pinpoint and photograph enemy installations"
Hong Kong 419-422 fdc1 (Mi419-422 fdc1) (GPO Hong Kong) English insert from FDC, also Chinese insert and FDC front 1983 "Space technology has opened up new vistas for weather forecasters. Since the 1970s, geostationary meteorological satellites situated about 36,000 kilometres above the equator have regularly transmitted pictures showing the cloud patterns in Earth's atmosphere (in FDC insert text)
Hong Kong 419-422 fdc2 (Mi419-422 fdc2) (GPO Hong Kong) English insert from FDC (Hennessy Road cancel), also Chinese insert and FDC front
Isle of Man (Great Britain) 469a+471a fdc Insert from FDC (blue and magenta printed cachet), also front 1991 "satellites used for the purpose of communication in radio broadcasting and weather forecasting" and "revolutionary techniques in satellite communications"
Japan 840 fdc (Mi888 fdc) (Minoru Hisano) cachet on FDC 1965 Three symbolic orbits for communications satellites (as part of the ITU theme of the stamp)
Jersey (Great Britain) 559-562 pack Presentation pack inside page2, also inside page1 and front 1991 "These spacecraft have sensors and computers to record, process, store and communicate data for monitoring the Earth's surface, i.e. remote sensing. By being able to observe large areas, an entirely new way of monitoring and analysing is available to scientists and environmental specialists"
Madagascar Unknown ss (BL none) In (upper-right) margin of SS1 [known illegal issue] 2018 Because of its location close to the equator, the Guyana Space Centre is "ideally located to place satellites into geostationary orbit"; the Centre handles mostly "communications satellites" (in French text)
Madagascar Unknown ss (BL none) In (upper-right) margin of SS1 (different) [known illegal issue] "The first [American Earth-orbiting] satellites and space-exploration satellites were launched from Cape Canaveral" (in French text)
Madagascar Unknown ss (BL none) In (upper-right) margin of SS1 (different) [known illegal issue] The Xichang Space Centre "has launched geostationary-orbit communications satellites, Beidou navigation satellites and space-exploration satellites" but the Wenchang Space Centre has progressively taken over because of its "better location for geostationary satellite launches" (in French text)
Madagascar Unknown ss (BL none) In (upper-right) margin of SS1 (different) [known illegal issue] The busy Baikonur Cosmodrome is equipped with "satellite preparation" facilities and handles satellite "launches into geostationary orbit" (in French text)
Mexico C415 folder (Mi1397 folder) (Pictorial) cancel on FDC folder inside, also outside 1973 "satélites meteorológicos"
Monaco 1375 fdc (Mi1585 fdc) (La Numismatique française) cachet on FDC, also back 1983 "In the near future, satellites will allow everyone to communicate instantaneously with the ends of the Earth, by text, voice or image" (in French text)
Monaco 1760 fdc (Mi2009 fdc) (La Numismatique française) back of FDC, also front 1991 "geostationary satellites, in orbits 36,000 km above Earth's surface" (in French text)
Oman State None c (Mi none) One of MS8 (a-h) 1979 Satellite in a low Earth orbit
Russia (USSR) 4665 (Mi4731) From MS36 (4665a (36x 4665)) 1978 "Natural resources research" (in Cyrillic text) by remote sensing; a manned Soyuz capsule is depicted, but the bulk of such research is done by un-manned satellites
Russia (USSR) 4665 fdc Stamp and (multi-color printed) cachet on FDC, also back
Sweden 1893c (Mi1663-1665) Full booklet 1991 "Tele-satellites link tele- and data communication networks between and within continents and make the distribution of radio and TV over great distances possible"
Thailand 1266 (Mi1267) 1988 satellite orbit
Thailand 1266 fdc Stamp and (pictorial) cancel on FDC
Thailand 1755 fdc (Mi1795 fdc) (Pictorial) cancel on FDC 1997 Symbolic constellation of 8 communications satellites orbiting Earth
United States None (Black printed) cachet on cover (Norfolk VA cancel) 1964 "Satellite Communications Group" and "satellite communications ship"
United States None (Black printed) cachet on cover (Agana, Guam cancel) 1964 "Satellite Communications Group" and "satellite communications ship"
United States 1332b fdc (Mi930-931 fdc) (Black and blue and red printed) cachet on FDC card, also back 1967 "From 1962 to 1966, the number of successful American launches, including satellites, totalled 223. The 1966 program began with the first weather satelite successfully launched by the Environmental Science Service Administration [ESSA]"; America's space program "includes its weather and communicatations satellites"
United States None (3 Muscateers) cachet on cover 1978 Space shuttle RCS (Reaction Control System) test (part of planning for shuttle attitude control for eventual "satellite retrieval" missions)
United States 1914 fdc (Mi1483 fdc) (Aristocrat Cachets) cachet on FDC 1981 The Shuttle would "put [some] satellites into orbit"
United States 1915 sc (Mi1484 sc) (Reader's Digest) souvenir card (with 1915 fdc), also back Solar "cells contributed to the spectacular success of the space probes that sent back closeup photos of Venus, Mercury and Mars. After being boosted into space by rockets, these craft majestically unfolded solar-cell wing panels that drank in the Sun's rays and produced current to power the ships' instruments"
United States 2741 fdc1 (Mi2337 fdc1) (Mystic Stamp Company) back of FDC, also front 1993 In 1957, the USSR "launched an artificial satellite [Sputnik-1] into orbit"
United States 2741 fdc2 (Mi2337 fdc2) (PCS golden-replica) insert from FDC, also front "planetary probes. Over the past 30 years, unmanned US spacecraft have encountered every planet except Pluto" (written in 1993 before New Horizons flew by Pluto (in 2015))
United States 2744 fdc (Mi2340 fdc) (Mystic Stamp Company) back of FDC, also front "Artificial satellites provide researchers with photographs of Venus, Mars and Jupiter"
United States 2745 fdc (Mi2341 fdc) (Mystic Stamp Company) back of FDC, also front "In addition to launching artificial satelliltes and space probes into orbit, the Space Shuttle can be used to retrieve satellites which need servicing. Astronauts on board the Shuttle can repair the satellite and then send it back into orbit."
United States 3187d fdc (Mi3126 fdc) (Artmaster) back of FDC, also front 1999 "Satellites are very important today for such purposes as worldwide telecommunications, meteorology, navigation and astronomy. Scientific satellites are also designed to gather information on physical phenomena in space".
Wallis and Futuna Islands 456 maxi (Mi661 maxi) (La Numismatique française) back of maxicard, also front 1994 "Satellites are tools for international communications and also provide precious scientific data on winds, oceans, tides, the undersea topography and volcanoes" (in French text)

Country	Catalog Number	Type of Item	Year of Issue	Notes on Content
General references to satellites
Aland (Finland)	Unknown fdc (Mi? fdc)	(Green printed) cachet on FDC	2021	"Satellitmeteorologi"
Chile	1110a cover (Mi1610-1611 cover)	(Multi-color printed) cachet on cover	1994?	German Antarctic Receiving Station (GARS) at O'Higgins Base, Antarctica (GARS was established in 1991 as a data downlink site for ERS-1 and ERS-2. Since 2010, it has served as the main downlink and uplink station for the German TerraSAR-X and TanDEM-X satellites.)
China (People's Republic)	2818-2821 fdc (Mi2865-2868 fdc)	(China National Philatelic Corporation) back of FDC, also front	1997	"satellite telecommunication"
France	1657 fdc (Mi2168 fdc)	(Éditions P.J.) cachet on FDC	1979	Two symbolic orbits for communications satellites (as part of the Telecom'79/ITU theme of the stamp)
France	1657 maxi (Mi2168 maxi)	(Éditions P.J.) maxicard
France	1862 sc (Mi2386 sc)	(Éditions P.J.) cachet on FDC	1983	"satellites artificiels"
France	2254-2255 sc1 (Mi2834-2835 sc1)	Souvenir card	1991	The location of the Guyana Space Centre, close the the equator, is "ideal for launching satellites into geostationary orbit" (in French text)
France	2254-2255 sc2 (Mi2834-2835 sd2)	Souvenir card (different)
Great Britain	1375a+1377a fdc (Mi1337-1340 fdc)	Insert from FDC, also front (Benham cachet, and second cancel for 30th anniv. Gagarin's flight)	1991	"Foremost among applications satellites are those for communications"; "There are also weather satellites which give us extremely accurate forecasts by relaying pictures of clouds to the weather stations. Hurricanes can be predicted some three days sooner by this means"; "Satellites have enabled scientists to study much more accurately the upper atmosphere"; "Ordnance survey and navigation have also been improved by using ... satellite[s]; "Space [satellites ... are] also in use for military objectives. Spy satellites can pinpoint and photograph enemy installations"
Hong Kong	419-422 fdc1 (Mi419-422 fdc1)	(GPO Hong Kong) English insert from FDC, also Chinese insert and FDC front	1983	"Space technology has opened up new vistas for weather forecasters. Since the 1970s, geostationary meteorological satellites situated about 36,000 kilometres above the equator have regularly transmitted pictures showing the cloud patterns in Earth's atmosphere (in FDC insert text)
Hong Kong	419-422 fdc2 (Mi419-422 fdc2)	(GPO Hong Kong) English insert from FDC (Hennessy Road cancel), also Chinese insert and FDC front
Isle of Man (Great Britain)	469a+471a fdc	Insert from FDC (blue and magenta printed cachet), also front	1991	"satellites used for the purpose of communication in radio broadcasting and weather forecasting" and "revolutionary techniques in satellite communications"
Japan	840 fdc (Mi888 fdc)	(Minoru Hisano) cachet on FDC	1965	Three symbolic orbits for communications satellites (as part of the ITU theme of the stamp)
Jersey (Great Britain)	559-562 pack	Presentation pack inside page2, also inside page1 and front	1991	"These spacecraft have sensors and computers to record, process, store and communicate data for monitoring the Earth's surface, i.e. remote sensing. By being able to observe large areas, an entirely new way of monitoring and analysing is available to scientists and environmental specialists"
Madagascar	Unknown ss (BL none)	In (upper-right) margin of SS1 [known illegal issue]	2018	Because of its location close to the equator, the Guyana Space Centre is "ideally located to place satellites into geostationary orbit"; the Centre handles mostly "communications satellites" (in French text)
Madagascar	Unknown ss (BL none)	In (upper-right) margin of SS1 (different) [known illegal issue]	"The first [American Earth-orbiting] satellites and space-exploration satellites were launched from Cape Canaveral" (in French text)
Madagascar	Unknown ss (BL none)	In (upper-right) margin of SS1 (different) [known illegal issue]	The Xichang Space Centre "has launched geostationary-orbit communications satellites, Beidou navigation satellites and space-exploration satellites" but the Wenchang Space Centre has progressively taken over because of its "better location for geostationary satellite launches" (in French text)
Madagascar	Unknown ss (BL none)	In (upper-right) margin of SS1 (different) [known illegal issue]	The busy Baikonur Cosmodrome is equipped with "satellite preparation" facilities and handles satellite "launches into geostationary orbit" (in French text)
Mexico	C415 folder (Mi1397 folder)	(Pictorial) cancel on FDC folder inside, also outside	1973	"satélites meteorológicos"
Monaco	1375 fdc (Mi1585 fdc)	(La Numismatique française) cachet on FDC, also back	1983	"In the near future, satellites will allow everyone to communicate instantaneously with the ends of the Earth, by text, voice or image" (in French text)
Monaco	1760 fdc (Mi2009 fdc)	(La Numismatique française) back of FDC, also front	1991	"geostationary satellites, in orbits 36,000 km above Earth's surface" (in French text)
Oman State	None c (Mi none)	One of MS8 (a-h)	1979	Satellite in a low Earth orbit
Russia (USSR)	4665 (Mi4731)	From MS36 (4665a (36x 4665))	1978	"Natural resources research" (in Cyrillic text) by remote sensing; a manned Soyuz capsule is depicted, but the bulk of such research is done by un-manned satellites
Russia (USSR)	4665 fdc	Stamp and (multi-color printed) cachet on FDC, also back
Sweden	1893c (Mi1663-1665)	Full booklet	1991	"Tele-satellites link tele- and data communication networks between and within continents and make the distribution of radio and TV over great distances possible"
Thailand	1266 (Mi1267)		1988	satellite orbit
Thailand	1266 fdc	Stamp and (pictorial) cancel on FDC
Thailand	1755 fdc (Mi1795 fdc)	(Pictorial) cancel on FDC	1997	Symbolic constellation of 8 communications satellites orbiting Earth
United States	None	(Black printed) cachet on cover (Norfolk VA cancel)	1964	"Satellite Communications Group" and "satellite communications ship"
United States	None	(Black printed) cachet on cover (Agana, Guam cancel)	1964	"Satellite Communications Group" and "satellite communications ship"
United States	1332b fdc (Mi930-931 fdc)	(Black and blue and red printed) cachet on FDC card, also back	1967	"From 1962 to 1966, the number of successful American launches, including satellites, totalled 223. The 1966 program began with the first weather satelite successfully launched by the Environmental Science Service Administration [ESSA]"; America's space program "includes its weather and communicatations satellites"
United States	None	(3 Muscateers) cachet on cover	1978	Space shuttle RCS (Reaction Control System) test (part of planning for shuttle attitude control for eventual "satellite retrieval" missions)
United States	1914 fdc (Mi1483 fdc)	(Aristocrat Cachets) cachet on FDC	1981	The Shuttle would "put [some] satellites into orbit"
United States	1915 sc (Mi1484 sc)	(Reader's Digest) souvenir card (with 1915 fdc), also back	Solar "cells contributed to the spectacular success of the space probes that sent back closeup photos of Venus, Mercury and Mars. After being boosted into space by rockets, these craft majestically unfolded solar-cell wing panels that drank in the Sun's rays and produced current to power the ships' instruments"
United States	2741 fdc1 (Mi2337 fdc1)	(Mystic Stamp Company) back of FDC, also front	1993	In 1957, the USSR "launched an artificial satellite [Sputnik-1] into orbit"
United States	2741 fdc2 (Mi2337 fdc2)	(PCS golden-replica) insert from FDC, also front	"planetary probes. Over the past 30 years, unmanned US spacecraft have encountered every planet except Pluto" (written in 1993 before New Horizons flew by Pluto (in 2015))
United States	2744 fdc (Mi2340 fdc)	(Mystic Stamp Company) back of FDC, also front	"Artificial satellites provide researchers with photographs of Venus, Mars and Jupiter"
United States	2745 fdc (Mi2341 fdc)	(Mystic Stamp Company) back of FDC, also front	"In addition to launching artificial satelliltes and space probes into orbit, the Space Shuttle can be used to retrieve satellites which need servicing. Astronauts on board the Shuttle can repair the satellite and then send it back into orbit."
United States	3187d fdc (Mi3126 fdc)	(Artmaster) back of FDC, also front	1999	"Satellites are very important today for such purposes as worldwide telecommunications, meteorology, navigation and astronomy. Scientific satellites are also designed to gather information on physical phenomena in space".
Wallis and Futuna Islands	456 maxi (Mi661 maxi)	(La Numismatique française) back of maxicard, also front	1994	"Satellites are tools for international communications and also provide precious scientific data on winds, oceans, tides, the undersea topography and volcanoes" (in French text)

Below is a list of General references to satellites on satellite launch and event covers.

Country Cancel Date Cancel Location Type of Item Notes on Content
General references to satellites
United States 1965-10-25? USNS Kingsport? (Black printed and black rubber-stamp) cachet (and signature) on GATV-6 launch (airmail) cover, also detail "US Naval Research and Development Satellite Communications Group"
United States 1969-11-14 Andover ME (COMSAT rubber-stamp) cachet on Apollo-12 launch cover "COMSAT - Communications Satellite Corporation"
United States 1981-11-13 Kennedy Space Center FL (Brown photo/sticker and black printed) cachet on STS-2 event cover The remote manipulator "mechanical arm ... will be used in future [Shuttle] missions to place satellites in space"
United States 1982-03-26 Kennedy Space Center FL (Quadracolor?) cachet on STS-3 event cover "On future missions [i.e. after STS-3], satellites will be placed into space by American shuttles"
United States 1982-03-30 Carmel Valley CA (Boudwin black rubber-stamp and hand-written) cachet on STS-3 landing (airmail) cover "COMSAT - Communications Satellite Corporation"
United States 1982-11-11 Air Force Postal Service (Purple and black rubber-stamp) cachet on STS-5 launch and SBS-3 deployment (airmail) cover "USAF Satellite Control Fac."
United States 1983-11-28 Kennedy Space Center FL (Colorano silk) cachet on STS-9 launch cover "Communications between the [Spacelab-1] laboratory and ground stations, by satellite link, were checked out and found to be loud and clear"
United States 1992-09-25 Kennedy Space Center FL (NASA/GE/JPL) insert from Mars Observer launch cover, also insert back and cover front and cover back "Mars Observer's polar orbit, like that used by many Earth-orbiting science and weather satellites, will allow scientists to make global observations and measurements at all latitudes"
United States 2024-03-12 Long Beach CA (Galactic Space Covers) back of StriX-3 launch cover, also front "The StriX-series satellites are Synthetic Aperture Radar, or SAR, spacecraft that can image millimeter-level changes to the Earth's surface from space, independent of weather conditions, at any time of day or night"

Country	Cancel Date	Cancel Location	Type of Item	Notes on Content
General references to satellites
United States	1965-10-25?	USNS Kingsport?	(Black printed and black rubber-stamp) cachet (and signature) on GATV-6 launch (airmail) cover, also detail	"US Naval Research and Development Satellite Communications Group"
United States	1969-11-14	Andover ME	(COMSAT rubber-stamp) cachet on Apollo-12 launch cover	"COMSAT - Communications Satellite Corporation"
United States	1981-11-13	Kennedy Space Center FL	(Brown photo/sticker and black printed) cachet on STS-2 event cover	The remote manipulator "mechanical arm ... will be used in future [Shuttle] missions to place satellites in space"
United States	1982-03-26	Kennedy Space Center FL	(Quadracolor?) cachet on STS-3 event cover	"On future missions [i.e. after STS-3], satellites will be placed into space by American shuttles"
United States	1982-03-30	Carmel Valley CA	(Boudwin black rubber-stamp and hand-written) cachet on STS-3 landing (airmail) cover	"COMSAT - Communications Satellite Corporation"
United States	1982-11-11	Air Force Postal Service	(Purple and black rubber-stamp) cachet on STS-5 launch and SBS-3 deployment (airmail) cover	"USAF Satellite Control Fac."
United States	1983-11-28	Kennedy Space Center FL	(Colorano silk) cachet on STS-9 launch cover	"Communications between the [Spacelab-1] laboratory and ground stations, by satellite link, were checked out and found to be loud and clear"
United States	1992-09-25	Kennedy Space Center FL	(NASA/GE/JPL) insert from Mars Observer launch cover, also insert back and cover front and cover back	"Mars Observer's polar orbit, like that used by many Earth-orbiting science and weather satellites, will allow scientists to make global observations and measurements at all latitudes"
United States	2024-03-12	Long Beach CA	(Galactic Space Covers) back of StriX-3 launch cover, also front	"The StriX-series satellites are Synthetic Aperture Radar, or SAR, spacecraft that can image millimeter-level changes to the Earth's surface from space, independent of weather conditions, at any time of day or night"

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General referencesto satellites

General references
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