posted 06-28-2009 08:37 PM               

With the 40th anniversary of the Apollo 11 first manned moon landing rapidly approaching, all of us "Space Cover of the Week(ers)" are going to be showing you Apollo 11 covers until the end of July.

Space Cover #11, The Apollo 11 Bendix Contractor Cover

We will kickoff this Apollo 11 extravaganza with the Apollo 11 Bendix contractor cover. This cover was postmarked at the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) on the morning of July 16, 1969, the day that Apollo 11 was launched. It carried the US Apollo 8 stamp that was issued on May 5, 1969. The engraved cachet was printed by the Bendix Launch Support Division at KSC as a way to celebrate and promote their participation in the mission. It also carried a letter from Frank W. Vaughn, the general manager of Bendix Launch Support Division expressing pride in Bendix's participation in the flight, the accomplishments that led to the flight, and wishing God speed to the astronauts. This was part of a series of covers that Bendix issued for the launches of Apollo 4 through Apollo 17.

Such covers, produced by contractors of the space program are termed "contractor covers" and these constitute their own niche of space cover collecting. Many contractors have produced covers commemorating a launch or other flight activity over the history of the space program.

Often, these contractor covers were mailed to astronauts, captains of industry, or government officials. In the case of this cover, it was mailed to the Hon. James A. Byrne (D-Pa) who served in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1953 - 1972. Finding these addressed to such people is yet another fun challenge of contractor cover collecting.

posted 07-02-2009 06:27 PM               

But for the record, Bendix also produced their cachet covers for three first day of issue events from 1967-69; the Gemini twin stamps, Apollo 8, and man's first lunar landing.

Some of the aerospace company's earlier cover issues included a letter inside the envelopes, as noted above, that were hand-signed by the firm's general manager.

During the Apollo era, the Bendix Launch Support Division at Kennedy Space Center was the prime contractor that provided technical and launch support services for numerous programs of NASA here at Kenendy. Altogether Bendix employed 2400 workers of the launch support division.

There were other aerospace company-issued cachet covers throughout Project Apollo; such as Grumman, Boeing, RCA, TWA, the Rocketdyne Stamp Club, KSC fire services, along with a few others.

posted 07-05-2009 07:43 PM               

When Dr. Kurt Debus established the Experimental missile Firing Laboratory at Redstone Arsenal near Huntsville, AL, Gruene was named his deputy. They were the first two employees of the organization which evolved to become the Kennedy Space Center.