Robert Pearlman
Editor Posts: 42985
From: Houston, TX
Registered: Nov 1999
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posted 04-21-2012 09:09 PM
   
The National Air and Space Museum had produced and is selling event covers marking the arrival of space shuttle Discovery at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center on April 19, 2012. The covers feature a cachet with the Smithsonian's Enterprise-Discovery 2012 insignia and the words: Arrival of the Space Shuttle Discovery at the National Air and Space Museum's Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center. Further on the reverse, each cover is printed with the following description: The space shuttle was the icon for U.S. human spaceflight for thirty years. First launched in 1981, space shuttles flew missions in Earth orbit through 2011.NASA built six space shuttle orbiters: Enterprise, Columbia, Challenger, Discovery, Atlantis and Endeavour. More than 350 people flew on shuttle missions. Sadly, fourteen astronauts perished in the Columbia and Challenger tragedies. NASA transferred Enterprise to the Smithsonian, and it was displayed at the National Air and Space Museum's Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center until the Museum received Discovery. As the oldest shuttle orbiter with the longest record of distinction in spaceflight, Discovery now holds a place of honor among the many treasures in the Smithsonian. The covers are hand-canceled in Chantilly, VA for April 19, 2012. Each features a 1991 "Flags on Parade" 29 cent stamp and one of four different stamps from the 1981 "Space Achievement" block depicting the space shuttle launching, in orbit and landing.The covers are priced $7 each and are product no. 4000474685557 Discovery. |
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