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  Houston, Texas post office 'Space Postmarks'

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Author Topic:   Houston, Texas post office 'Space Postmarks'
eurospace
Member

Posts: 2634
From: Berlin, Germany
Registered: Dec 2000

posted 07-27-2007 02:57 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for eurospace   Click Here to Email eurospace     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
During the STS-117 mission (June 2007), there was a new pictorial postmarker being used at the Houston downtown post office.

It reads "Astronaut EVA Station" and shows an astronaut during an EVA. It has a mobile date bridge and I have seen the dates of 8 and 10 June 2007.

Robert Pearlman
Editor

Posts: 45266
From: Houston, TX
Registered: Nov 1999

posted 08-08-2013 10:54 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for Robert Pearlman   Click Here to Email Robert Pearlman     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
collectSPACE
Space station delivery capsules now being delivered on Houston mail

The space capsules used to deliver crew and cargo to and from the International Space Station are now available for delivery on envelopes and postcards mailed through a Houston post office.

Russia's piloted Soyuz spacecraft and SpaceX's uncrewed Dragon cargo capsule are featured on two new pictorial postmarks now offered by the U.S. Postal Service (USPS). The black and white ink stamps also depict the space station.

onesmallstep
Member

Posts: 1327
From: Staten Island, New York USA
Registered: Nov 2007

posted 08-08-2013 01:29 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for onesmallstep   Click Here to Email onesmallstep     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Nice. But with the proliferation of new vehicles going to the ISS in the next few years, the postmark designers will certainly be kept busy!

onesmallstep
Member

Posts: 1327
From: Staten Island, New York USA
Registered: Nov 2007

posted 09-05-2013 12:19 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for onesmallstep   Click Here to Email onesmallstep     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
I just discovered a cancel from the Houston post office for EVAs conducted from the ISS. It shows an astronaut wearing a US EMU suit in front of a station structure. This is in a different style from an earlier type of EVA postmark in use as late as 2009.

Ken Havekotte
Member

Posts: 3125
From: Merritt Island, Florida, Brevard
Registered: Mar 2001

posted 09-05-2013 05:21 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Ken Havekotte   Click Here to Email Ken Havekotte     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
The majority, if not all, of the recent space station and EVA-related pictorial cancels from Houston, Texas post offices were suggested by Stephen Stein of W. Hartford, Connecticut, with the postmark designs submitted by Deltev van Ravanswaay of Germany.

Apollo-Soyuz
Member

Posts: 1246
From: Shady Side, Md
Registered: Sep 2004

posted 04-11-2015 06:31 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Apollo-Soyuz   Click Here to Email Apollo-Soyuz     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
I want to give a shout out to the people who service our covers with the pictorial cancel in the above post. I have been sending covers before the Soyuz launches and they hold them until launch and provide outstanding service.

Here is an example of their great servicing.

I just received my covers back for the launch of the Soyuz TMA-16M spacecraft.

Apollo-Soyuz
Member

Posts: 1246
From: Shady Side, Md
Registered: Sep 2004

posted 10-30-2015 05:46 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for Apollo-Soyuz   Click Here to Email Apollo-Soyuz     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
I also want to tell collectors who send for these cancels to be very patient. These offices that offer these cancels have limited staff to service these cancels so it can be awhile before requests are returned. I just received my request back for the Soyuz TMA-18 crew that launched on September 2, 2015 serviced superbly and clearly.

fimych
Member

Posts: 229
From: Boston MA, USA
Registered: Jun 2015

posted 10-30-2015 02:26 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for fimych   Click Here to Email fimych     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Sorry for the dumb question - just never did this before. How exactly should I send the request?

So, should I prepare the envelopes with the stamps, can it be any combination of stamps or just standard US postage? Should I put the envelopes into the package with the return envelope inside, and list the dates to put the cancellations? What rate should I use for the return package?

Thanks for the help!

Apollo-Soyuz
Member

Posts: 1246
From: Shady Side, Md
Registered: Sep 2004

posted 10-30-2015 04:21 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Apollo-Soyuz   Click Here to Email Apollo-Soyuz     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
What you would need to do is to stamp your envelopes with a Forever stamp. You will have to send individual requests with very specific instructions as to what date you want. What I do is mention the scheduled launch date in your request letter.

I send 10 envelopes to be cancelled and include two return envelopes stamped and addressed to myself. Sit back and wait. Like I said in the above post, these offices have limited manpower so it takes time to receive back your requests.

I have been doing this ever since the cancels were first offered in 2013 and have never been disappointed with the results.

Apollo-Soyuz
Member

Posts: 1246
From: Shady Side, Md
Registered: Sep 2004

posted 12-31-2015 10:28 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for Apollo-Soyuz   Click Here to Email Apollo-Soyuz     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
I wanted to let all know my covers for the December 15, 2015 launch of Soyuz TMA-19M were received by me a week after launch. Fantastic service.

eurospace
Member

Posts: 2634
From: Berlin, Germany
Registered: Dec 2000

posted 01-03-2016 12:36 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for eurospace   Click Here to Email eurospace     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
I also received my covers back from the Houston downtown post office. They had been autographed by British astronaut Tim Peake and only now postmarked with the Houston cancel.

I had sent them to Houston at some point in November and they returned last week.

fimych
Member

Posts: 229
From: Boston MA, USA
Registered: Jun 2015

posted 02-11-2016 01:04 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for fimych   Click Here to Email fimych     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Thanks very much for the idea!

I just got my cards from Houston, all dates are as requested - especially well fit is Valery Kubasov card for the 40 years of ASTP.

Robert Pearlman
Editor

Posts: 45266
From: Houston, TX
Registered: Nov 1999

posted 06-02-2020 06:00 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Robert Pearlman   Click Here to Email Robert Pearlman     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
collectSPACE
SpaceX Crew Dragon docking depicted on new Houston postmark

SpaceX's Crew Dragon has arrived at the International Space Station, both in orbit and on a new postmark.

In commemoration of the historic docking — the first by a commercial spacecraft with astronauts on board — and to be ready for the SpaceX missions that are still to come, the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) has introduced a new pictorial postmark depicting the capsule and its destination. The SpaceX Crew Dragon design is now available on request from the Houston, Texas post office that services the NASA Johnson Space Center community.

bwhite1976
Member

Posts: 286
From: Belleville, IL
Registered: Jun 2011

posted 06-12-2020 10:27 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for bwhite1976   Click Here to Email bwhite1976     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Received back in a week.

Robert Pearlman
Editor

Posts: 45266
From: Houston, TX
Registered: Nov 1999

posted 12-17-2020 09:08 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for Robert Pearlman   Click Here to Email Robert Pearlman     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
The U.S. Postal Service has issued an update for the four Houston ISS Mission Control Station and Astronaut EVA Station pictorial postmarks:
All Houston, TX Post Offices receive hundreds of requests each month for the four postmarks popularly known as the "Space" postmarks, These Post Offices are now consolidating the canceling process to one Post Office so they can better serve their customers.

The new mailing address for all Houston, TX Space postmark requests has been changed to:

Space Postmark Request
c/o Postmaster
Sam Houston Station
Attn: Mr. Kenneth Cooper
1500 Hadley Street
Houston, TX 77002-9998

All times are CT (US)

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