|
Author
|
Topic: STS-8 flown covers: stowage, distribution
|
collshubby
Member Posts: 591
From: Madisonville, Louisiana
Registered: Nov 1999
|
posted 12-27-2000 10:13 PM
   
I was doing a little research on the flown STS-8 covers, and found out that they were carried in the shuttle inside eight "Get Away Special" canisters, as well as in two boxes mounted on the instrument panel. Since the covers are numbered, could anyone tell where they were located on the shuttle? For example, was 1-230,000 in the GAS canisters, while 230,001-260,000 were on the instrument panel? |
Apollo-Soyuz
Member Posts: 1283
From: Shady Side, Md
Registered: Sep 2004
|
posted 06-03-2012 05:57 PM
Was any photo documentation done with the STS-8 flown covers? |
Ken Havekotte
Member Posts: 3230
From: Merritt Island, Florida, Brevard
Registered: Mar 2001
|
posted 06-03-2012 07:00 PM
As cited, the 260,000 special covers were stored inside eight sealed "Get Away Special" canisters aboard STS-8/Challenger's cargo bay in 1983.Altogether, the cans were a part of five Get Away Special experiment packages. But 1,001 of the covers were carried aboard the orbiter's flight deck and 10 were autographed by each crew member while in space for just over six days after completing 98 orbits. |
cosmos-walter
Member Posts: 719
From: Salzburg, Austria
Registered: Jun 2003
|
posted 06-05-2012 12:47 PM
According to my records 261,900 covers were flown on board STS-8. 1,001 of them were flown in the cabin, the remaining in cargo bay. After their space flight a private company postmarked all flown covers in Merrifield, Virginia. |
cosmos-walter
Member Posts: 719
From: Salzburg, Austria
Registered: Jun 2003
|
posted 06-05-2012 03:12 PM
You can find a complete listing of serial numbers of the 238,100 covers that were produced but not flown on the STS-8 space shuttle mission here (PDF).Do we know which were the numbers of the cabin flown covers? 0 to 1000? The first number of the list of unflown covers is 1001. |
NAAmodel#240
Member Posts: 345
From: Boston, Mass.
Registered: Jun 2005
|
posted 08-05-2016 09:23 PM
By my calculations there were 264,467 flown (500,000 produced minus 235,533 reportedly destroyed). Recently ran across number 147. Is it likely it was carried on the flight deck?
|
cosmos-walter
Member Posts: 719
From: Salzburg, Austria
Registered: Jun 2003
|
posted 08-06-2016 07:14 AM
David, congratulations! All covers with number lower than 1000 flew in the middeck — the other ones in cargo bay. |
NAAmodel#240
Member Posts: 345
From: Boston, Mass.
Registered: Jun 2005
|
posted 08-06-2016 08:35 AM
Congratulations are premature. I was working on the space section of the Cardinal Spellman Philatelic Museum and it belongs to them. The hunt for my collection continues. |
Apollo-Soyuz
Member Posts: 1283
From: Shady Side, Md
Registered: Sep 2004
|
posted 01-07-2021 10:41 AM
When NASA flew the STS-8 covers in 1983, it was stated that 1000 covers were flown in the middeck. After the flight they were to be distributed to museums, governments, Congress, NASA officials and others. Only cover no. 0 was distributed to the USPS for their exhibit. Was a list of recipients of these ever made? Editor's note: Threads merged. |
Pete Sarmiento
Member Posts: 67
From: Fort Washington, MD, USA
Registered: Mar 2006
|
posted 01-07-2021 08:47 PM
A story about these flown covers was written by the late Les Winick in Linn's Stamp News on Feb. 7, 1994 and May 9, 1994. Until now the low numbers are still a puzzle! NASA and USPS donated some of these covers to various museums around the world and in the U.S. Nobody seems to know whether anybody recorded the numbers. |
cvrlvr99
Member Posts: 170
From: Arlington, TX
Registered: Aug 2014
|
posted 01-18-2021 10:11 AM
I met Adm. Richard Truly in Denver two years ago when he was looking at an exhibit of mine at a show being held there. He told me that no. 1 went to the President, nos. 2 and 3 went to some officials whose names and titles I don't recall. He and the crew got covers 4 through 8. He had but cannot find no. 4 and thinks that someone took it. I don't recall what he said about 9 and 10. |
Robert Pearlman
Editor Posts: 46233
From: Houston, TX
Registered: Nov 1999
|
posted 01-18-2021 10:43 AM
Bill Thornton donated his papers to the North Carolina State Archives in 2010 and his space memorabilia to the North Carolina Museum of History in 2012. It is possible (if not likely) that his cover is now held in one of those collections. |
Apollo-Soyuz
Member Posts: 1283
From: Shady Side, Md
Registered: Sep 2004
|
posted 01-18-2021 05:54 PM
I placed a FOIA request with the USPS with the question as to who was donated the STS-8 flown covers numbered 1-1000. I will let you know of my results. |
Apollo-Soyuz
Member Posts: 1283
From: Shady Side, Md
Registered: Sep 2004
|
posted 02-02-2021 02:18 PM
I received a response to my FOIA request. A search conducted of the records maintained by the USPS Historian and Vice President Chief Customer and Marketing Officer, they were unable to find any documents relating to my request. |
Robert Pearlman
Editor Posts: 46233
From: Houston, TX
Registered: Nov 1999
|
posted 03-23-2021 08:08 PM
Cover no. 3, signed by the complete crew, sold on eBay (193965554995) this evening for $1,801.76 with no information about its chain of ownership. 
|
Ken Havekotte
Member Posts: 3230
From: Merritt Island, Florida, Brevard
Registered: Mar 2001
|
posted 03-23-2021 09:02 PM
Wow! No.3 cover signed, very nice Robert! |
Robert Pearlman
Editor Posts: 46233
From: Houston, TX
Registered: Nov 1999
|
posted 03-23-2021 09:20 PM
Just to be clear, I was not the winning bidder. If the new owner is a member of our community and feels comfortable doing so, please do share any more information you have or learn about its history. |
cosmos-walter
Member Posts: 719
From: Salzburg, Austria
Registered: Jun 2003
|
posted 03-24-2021 03:17 PM
A great cover. If I was aware of it, it would have fetched a higher price. Congratulations to the buyer! |
Apollo-Soyuz
Member Posts: 1283
From: Shady Side, Md
Registered: Sep 2004
|
posted 03-24-2021 03:20 PM
I have a follow up FOIA request in with the USPS. I will let you know if I hear anything. |
Apollo-Soyuz
Member Posts: 1283
From: Shady Side, Md
Registered: Sep 2004
|
posted 03-26-2021 02:47 PM
In a follow up to the above posts, a Linn's article dated November 21, 1983 stated many postal museums of the world and postal officials were recipients of covers carried in the shuttle cabin during STS-8 according to Pete Davidson who was director of the Office of Consumer Marketing for the USPS. Linn's reported that 1,000 covers were carried in the cabin per request of Postmaster General William Bolger for use as special presentations. Of these, 10 were signed by the five astronauts. One of the signed covers numbered 0 on the back had a proof of the $9.35 Eagle and Moon stamp. Two covers nos. 1 and 2 were presented to President Reagan and Vice President Bush. The other seven autographed covers went to Postmaster General Bolger; the five STS-8 astronauts and the NASA Administrator. My question and reason for the FOIA request was to find out museums were recipients of the covers. |
Ken Havekotte
Member Posts: 3230
From: Merritt Island, Florida, Brevard
Registered: Mar 2001
|
posted 03-26-2021 03:56 PM
Very good information John as I was told most of the same facts that you have reported, mainly with only 10 of the lowest number of covers being crew signed. So with that in mind, John, do you think #3 came from a crew member of Challenger on Mission STS-8? |
Apollo-Soyuz
Member Posts: 1283
From: Shady Side, Md
Registered: Sep 2004
|
posted 03-27-2021 06:33 AM
Ken, that's my thought process too. |
Bob M
Member Posts: 1788
From: Atlanta-area, GA USA
Registered: Aug 2000
|
posted 03-30-2021 07:42 AM
Too bad that no information has been provided or disclosed concerning the provenance of this very rare cover.For many of us who collect Shuttle crew signed covers, this is almost certainly the first STS-8 flown cover to come to light autographed by all five. Bill Thornton, who passed away recently at age 91, refused to sign any of the STS-8 flown covers, waiting on NASA to give the OK, which, as expected, never came, leaving many crew signed cover collectors with STS-8 flown covers signed only by the other four, who at various times did sign. If Dr. Thornton did not sign any except the ten as noted, then complete STS-8 flown crew signed covers would be among the rarest of all NASA crew signed covers, although Dr. Thornton was very cooperative about signing all other STS-8 cover types. |
cosmos-walter
Member Posts: 719
From: Salzburg, Austria
Registered: Jun 2003
|
posted 04-01-2021 02:21 AM
Many years ago Seymour Rodman offered another crew signed cabin-flown cover at one of his auctions. |
Robert Pearlman
Editor Posts: 46233
From: Houston, TX
Registered: Nov 1999
|
posted 04-02-2021 05:27 PM
collectSPACE Commander's cover: An envelope's flight through space, time and eBayThe last time that Richard Truly saw it, it was on board the space shuttle Challenger 38 years ago. The small envelope, bearing a $9.35 Express Mail stamp and a special Aug. 14, 1983 postmark identifying it as "Space Mail Orbited Via STS-8," was then newly-autographed by Truly and his four STS-8 crewmates. Although there were more than 260,000 similar envelopes flying on that same mission, this one was special: serialized on its back as number "3," it was one of only 10 to be signed by all five astronauts and it was earmarked for Truly. But Truly never received it. "To be honest, I don't have any proof which serial number was intended for me. All I know is I never got it," said Truly, who was commander of the STS-8 mission and later served as NASA administrator. "The other four crew members got theirs, but I was the only stamp collector." Flash forward almost 40 years and the envelope reappeared — on eBay...  |
Ken Havekotte
Member Posts: 3230
From: Merritt Island, Florida, Brevard
Registered: Mar 2001
|
posted 04-02-2021 05:59 PM
Great story Robert and it was very thoughtful of David Ball in thinking of and providing the #3 cover to Vice Admiral Dick Truly. Perhaps the first two serial numbers were presented to the President and Vice President, #3 to STS-8 commander Truly (but its a mystery as to why Truly never got his), #4 to Challenger pilot Brandenstein on the mission, #5 to Mission Specialist-1 Bluford, #6 to MS-2 Gardner, and #7 to Thornton (MS-3). That would leave only three signed covers left of the total ten flown and signed in space. Perhaps NASA Administrator James Beggs got #8, #9 to Postmaster General William Bolger, and concluding with #10 to the Smithsonian Institution. Does that seem plausible if those numbers had not already been identified by their owners? |
Ben
Member Posts: 1915
From: United States
Registered: May 2000
|
posted 04-02-2021 08:36 PM
quote:
Originally posted by Apollo-Soyuz:
One of the signed covers numbered 0 on the back had a proof of the $9.35 Eagle and Moon stamp.
So perhaps the signed covers actually number 0-9? |
dom
Member Posts: 924
From:
Registered: Aug 2001
|
posted 04-03-2021 05:11 AM
Well done to David Ball for making this happen. Glad to know the signed envelope has made its way back to Truly! |
Apollo-Soyuz
Member Posts: 1283
From: Shady Side, Md
Registered: Sep 2004
|
posted 04-03-2021 02:33 PM
The cover numbered 0 had a die proof of the Express Mail stamp that was on the covers. This cover should be in the Postal Museum. It was the 1-10 covers that were autographed I believe. I cannot recall if cover 0 was ever autographed.I would also like to find out who had access to the covers after the flight and how this cover was never given to Truly and went missing until now. Who sold it on eBay? |
NAAmodel#240
Member Posts: 345
From: Boston, Mass.
Registered: Jun 2005
|
posted 04-03-2021 09:42 PM
My guess is the cover was sent to NASA Headquarters after the flight. I believe the one destined for CDR Truly got to Seymour Rodman who I think sold it to Al Barnes. Last month the eBay dealer handling the Barnes material (much of which was used to create the 1967 E-Z Rocket Mail Catalog) put it up for sale and I bought it and have sold it (at cost) to the astronaut. He should be receiving his memento this coming week. |
Mike Dixon
Member Posts: 1543
From: Kew, Victoria, Australia
Registered: May 2003
|
posted 04-03-2021 10:54 PM
I hope you're more than compensated for that gesture beyond the dollars. |
NAAmodel#240
Member Posts: 345
From: Boston, Mass.
Registered: Jun 2005
|
posted 04-17-2021 05:30 PM
These pictures were taken at the USPS archives in 2009. A proof cover (not flown). 
|
Apollo-Soyuz
Member Posts: 1283
From: Shady Side, Md
Registered: Sep 2004
|
posted 04-18-2021 03:52 PM
I went to the National Postal Museum website and could not find the cover. I thought the cover was flown with the die proof for the USPS and was donated to the museum. When I went to the Postal museum pre-pandemic, the Hall of Stamps was undergoing renovations. |
Apollo-Soyuz
Member Posts: 1283
From: Shady Side, Md
Registered: Sep 2004
|
posted 04-18-2021 06:31 PM
According to a USPS Release Baltimore, Md. dated February 1984, the flown cover no. 0 with the proof stamp was placed on permanent display in the Hall of Stamps in the USPS L'Enfant Plaza Headquarters building in Washington, DC early in 1984. |
Antoni RIGO
Member Posts: 222
From: Palma de Mallorca, Is. Baleares - SPAIN
Registered: Aug 2013
|
posted 05-12-2021 10:16 AM
Does everyone ever know or have seen the agreement/contract between USPS and NASA to allow covers to be carried in shuttle?I would be interested in knowing the date of this agreement. |
advertisement