|
Author
|
Topic: Official NASA VIP Card For STS-1?
|
randyc
Member Posts: 779
From: Chandler, AZ USA
Registered: May 2003
|
posted 08-19-2009 10:14 PM
   
I noticed a couple of 'VIP' type cards for the launch of STS-1 on eBay. I thought that the last official NASA VIP card was for the launch of the Skylab Orbital Workshop (OWS) on May 14, 1973 and any 'VIP' type cards produced after that were made by dealers or other individuals, but not NASA. Is that correct, or are there Official NASA VIP cards for missions launched after the Skylab OWS? |
Apollo-Soyuz
Member Posts: 1205
From: Shady Side, Md
Registered: Sep 2004
|
posted 08-20-2009 05:30 AM
The last VIP card was actually for Skylab-2 the first manned Skylab flight. There was a special VIP card for STS-95 the return to orbit of John Glenn.------------------
John Macco
Space Unit#1457 |
eurospace
Member Posts: 2610
From: Brussels, Belgium
Registered: Dec 2000
|
posted 08-20-2009 01:10 PM
Private dealers (I think of Rand Philately at Houston) have produced cards similar to the VIP card design until the latest missions.------------------
Jürgen P Esders
Berlin, Germany International Director (Europe), Space Unit
Vice President, Weltraum Philatelie e. V. http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Astroaddies |
yeknom-ecaps
Member Posts: 660
From: Northville MI USA
Registered: Aug 2005
|
posted 08-20-2009 01:58 PM
Anyone have a contact address for Rand Philately? |
randyc
Member Posts: 779
From: Chandler, AZ USA
Registered: May 2003
|
posted 08-20-2009 02:29 PM
Does anyone have a scan of the Official NASA VIP card for SL-2? |
Bob M
Member Posts: 1744
From: Atlanta-area, GA USA
Registered: Aug 2000
|
posted 08-20-2009 03:36 PM
quote:
Originally posted by Apollo-Soyuz:
The last VIP card was actually for Skylab-2 the first manned Skylab flight. There was a special VIP card for STS-95 the return to orbit of John Glenn.
John mentioned about a special VIP card issued for Glenn's STS-95 flight. Below are two that I obtained, but I don't know their origin or if they are actually official NASA/KSC VIP cards or just privately produced ones. At first glance, they appear identical except for one being a much darker blue. However, the wording at both the top and bottom are different. I suspect that the bottom card is the official NASA/KSC VIP card, while the top card is privately produced - perhaps by German space dealer Carstan Fuchs.  |
Bob M
Member Posts: 1744
From: Atlanta-area, GA USA
Registered: Aug 2000
|
posted 08-20-2009 03:43 PM
quote:
Originally posted by randyc:
Does anyone have a scan of the Official NASA VIP card for SL-2?
As asked...SL-1 at the top, SL-2 at the bottom.  |
randyc
Member Posts: 779
From: Chandler, AZ USA
Registered: May 2003
|
posted 08-20-2009 03:53 PM
Thanks Bob! |
Ken Havekotte
Member Posts: 2913
From: Merritt Island, Florida, Brevard
Registered: Mar 2001
|
posted 08-20-2009 06:11 PM
To help set the record straight, there were official VIP cards produced for STS-95 that my company, SpaceCoast Cover Service (SCCS), arranged. In Sept. 1998, NASA and DNPS, approved an "official VIP card" production use. About 10,000 of them were produced by SCCS under official NASA-DNPS contract. About 6,000 of them were delivered to DNPS/KSCVC for distribution at the main VIP launch viewing sites. About 1,000 more of them were delivered to the shuttle press site for news media distribution on Discovery's Oct. 29th launch day. Of the additional 3,000 or so left over, DNPS ordered another 1,000 or more (which is another story to tell) with the remainder of the cards in my possession. Just about all so-called VIP cards produced after NASA's last VIP card issue for SL-2 in May 1973 were privately printed by space cover dealer Carsten Fuchs of Germany. His cards, which includes all shuttle flights from STS-1 to present, are in no way of any "official" status. His cards can be identified with light-blue ink markings and usually on a heavier-card stock. The "official" cards for Glenn's return to flight were printed in a darker blue (see Bob's second card image-scan for STS-95). |
micropooz
Member Posts: 1512
From: Washington, DC, USA
Registered: Apr 2003
|
posted 08-20-2009 06:44 PM
quote:
Originally posted by yeknom-ecaps:
Anyone have a contact address for Rand Philately?
Rand Philatelics has been out of business for a number of years and all the assets were liquidated.I visited them quite often when they were active. I don't remember them ever printing up VIP cards for Shuttle missions. They did get some material from Fuchs, so he may have been the source for these. |
yeknom-ecaps
Member Posts: 660
From: Northville MI USA
Registered: Aug 2005
|
posted 08-21-2009 10:16 PM
Any idea who bought their material? |
micropooz
Member Posts: 1512
From: Washington, DC, USA
Registered: Apr 2003
|
posted 08-22-2009 05:22 AM
No, it got pretty well picked over before going to Harmer-Schau for auction a few years ago. By the time that I saw what was going to H-S, all the "goodies" were long gone... |
Ross
Member Posts: 472
From: Australia
Registered: Jul 2003
|
posted 06-22-2010 09:37 AM
All known NASA VIP cards are now illustrated on the Space Unit website thanks to Ray Cartier. Included are look alike cards by German dealers. If anybody has any other variations please email me with details and I'll add them to the SU website.Thanks
Ross Smith
(SU Webmaster) |
advertisement