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Author Topic:   Postmarked at Kennedy Space Center?
NAAmodel#240
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Posts: 312
From: Boston, Mass.
Registered: Jun 2005

posted 11-28-2016 01:27 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for NAAmodel#240   Click Here to Email NAAmodel#240     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
A friend asked whether covers actually postmarked at Kennedy Space Center can be distinguished from KSC circle date stamps cancelled in Orlando. She suspects that stamps cancelled with a CDS alone (no killer bars) have come from the main post office in Orlando and may be backdated. Thoughts?

Ken Havekotte
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Posts: 2913
From: Merritt Island, Florida, Brevard
Registered: Mar 2001

posted 11-28-2016 04:44 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Ken Havekotte   Click Here to Email Ken Havekotte     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Postal cancels with a KSC bullseye (with no killer bars) originated from the late 1970s all the way into the 1980s decade. The KSC-bullseye devices were for use at the Orlando International Airport's (OIA) postal station, about 36 miles from the space center itself.

Several years later, the KSC postal unit at OIA was relocated to the main Titusville post office along U.S. 1 with the Indian River right behind it, overlooking KSC's Shuttle Launch Complex 39 facilities.

Yet another location change occurred, still in the Titusville area, during the early 1990's a few miles inland from U.S. 1. This was the last "in use" station location, which is no longer in operation these days.

Keep in mind, though, that space cover cancel requests to the KSC/Titusville station could take weeks to process (as many did), and longer in some instances.

Mail was being received from all corners of the globe, with record-breaking numbers for John Glenn's return to orbit shuttle flight in 1998. For STS-95, Glenn's return to space, it took the Titusville branch station three to four months to cancel, process orders, and return philatelic mail and others once they had been fully processed.

Not only were there KSC-bullseye cancel types available at T-ville, but there were a variety of special requested designed pictorial postmarks throughout this time period, starting in 1991 and with the first T-ville related space event in 1993 (not stamp club related).

Just curious, though; Why does your friend believe that many(?) of the bullseye cancel types may have been backdated?

NAAmodel#240
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Posts: 312
From: Boston, Mass.
Registered: Jun 2005

posted 11-28-2016 09:20 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for NAAmodel#240   Click Here to Email NAAmodel#240     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Ken, I knew you would have the answer posthaste.

Beatrice Bachman from Zurich had the question and I will forward your excellent reply. I will also ask why she suspects some of the OIA cancels were backdated. Thanks.

Ken Havekotte
Member

Posts: 2913
From: Merritt Island, Florida, Brevard
Registered: Mar 2001

posted 11-29-2016 01:57 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Ken Havekotte   Click Here to Email Ken Havekotte     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
David, perhaps it should be mentioned here about another incident, yet mostly unknown, regarding the space philatelic history of Florida Space Coast postmark strikes.

Before the KSC/T-ville branch station took over the bulk space cover cancel service from OIA (using the bullseye cancel devices), I had made a suggestion to KSC/Orlando postal officials in late 1988: to provide the same or similar hand stamp devices at a closer-by post office facility (at Merritt Island) near the Kennedy Space Center.

After all, when postmarking space covers with a space center impression, it would be geographically correct in using Merritt Island, since the island is where NASA's Kennedy Space Center — which includes all the shuttle launches and landings — is situated.

Initially, certain postal authorities at OIA approved the proposal, and two new rubber stamp cancel devices were produced for the Merritt Island "Kennedy Space Center, FL, 32815" cancel device uses. The new postal strike even contained four killer bars along with an added time-of-day "AM or PM" slots.

The regular KSC hand stamps in use at the on-base KSC HQS. Bldg. postal unit did not include the morning/evening slots, as this new one did. So there is/was a difference between the two postal hand cancel site locations.

The cancels, once available at the main Merritt Island post office, were first used in May 1989 for the shuttle Atlantis launch of STS-30. Several hundred mission covers received the new postmark strikes.

But to make a long story short, it had been decided by certain OIA postal administrators to discontinue the new hand stamp usage at the Merritt Island post office later that month in May 1989. That's when it was approved, at my suggestion and full blessing as well, to authorize another Space Coast area postal station, base on several contributing factors though, to "take over" all the bulk space cover cancel processing requests. So it was to be, or put in place, by the summer of that same year.

It was decided that T-ville will serve this purpose since all KSC mail was first diverted through T-ville mail channels, even before all of KSC's mail (all categories) heading over by truck to the OIA mail processing facility on a daily basis.

But just for the fun of it, can anyone depict here one of the short-lived postal cancels from Merritt Island (check your STS-30 covers) that has a KSC hand cancellation? If not, I'll try to show one here later, if there is any interest.

Antoni RIGO
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Posts: 176
From: Palma de Mallorca, Is. Baleares - SPAIN
Registered: Aug 2013

posted 12-01-2016 04:50 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Antoni RIGO   Click Here to Email Antoni RIGO     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Ken, your magnificent answer deserves some images.

Please, feel free to comment them.

Thanks for sharing your philatelic and postal knowledge with others.

Ken Havekotte
Member

Posts: 2913
From: Merritt Island, Florida, Brevard
Registered: Mar 2001

posted 12-01-2016 08:00 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Ken Havekotte   Click Here to Email Ken Havekotte     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Very impressive, cancel-wise speaking, of the above space cover images. Thanks for sharing, Antoni, and for the kind words.

The new KSC/Merritt Island postmark strike is included here (2nd image), also, on one of my own firm's multi-colored printed STS-30/Atlantis crew emblem covers. This was the only space event this particular cancel had been used for before the new hand cancel impression was discontinued.

The first depicted shuttle cover, with a Boudwin cachet, illustrates one of the KSC/Orlando hand stamp cancels which were still available in 1989 at the OIA postal division there.

The third or final cover depiction is another shuttle mission later that same year (it's on a Titsville-Moonport Stamp Club production) containing a KSC hand stamp, with killer bars, that had originated from the on-base KSC HQS. Bldg. postal unit.

cvrlvr99
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Posts: 139
From: Arlington, TX
Registered: Aug 2014

posted 12-07-2016 04:56 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for cvrlvr99   Click Here to Email cvrlvr99     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
The rules stating that covers had to be cancelled at the "nearest" post office were changed after I wrote a 10 page dissertation to the FIP about three years ago. The U.S. Manual of Philatelic Judging (MoJ) also used the word nearest.

Yet for GT-5, the MOJ also stated that KSC cancels (official) were preferred even though the later Gemini launches through Apollo 7 were launched from Cape Canaveral. I also pointed out that flown to the moon covers had been cancelled in Webster, TX (Apollo 11), Ellington AFB, TX (Apollo ll) and aboard the Apollo 15 prime recovery ship. So I asked which ones were not valid.

Additionally there are cancels from at least three different Houston post offices because the small one at 75058 could not handle the requests and had mailed in covers cancelled at various Houston Post Offices 20 some odd miles distant. Likewise the KSC post office could not handle the load and covers were sent to the parent office. Collectors did not choose the actual sites.

The FIP changed the word "nearest" to "nearby" about two years ago. I was asked to rework the MOJ 7th edition and convinced the editors to also use the term "nearby." So now it does not matter in exhibiting whether your cancels were cancelled in Orlando or Merritt Island or KSC. Rules that add exclusivity to existing collector's covers are not in the best interests of the hobby.

Also note that KSC cancels for post-launch lunar events were banned by FIP and not mentioned in MOJ. Since Merritt Island obtained digital images from deep space and converted them to analog images for our TV screens and because Merritt Island Launch Area (MILA) is on KSC property, the word "nearest" now helps exhibitors use KSC covers for lunar orbits, landings and launches, just as we collected them and got them signed. It was a shame that these covers ever were banned from exhibiting.

Antoni RIGO
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Posts: 176
From: Palma de Mallorca, Is. Baleares - SPAIN
Registered: Aug 2013

posted 12-07-2016 05:57 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Antoni RIGO   Click Here to Email Antoni RIGO     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Ray, the change of the word "nearest" by the word "nearby" was approved by Astrophilately FIP delegates in world exhibit Portugal 2010, held in Lisbon in October 2010, so 6 years ago and not only 2 years as you stated.

Time goes by so fast!

I had the chance to attend this exhibit and vote okay to this proposal as Spanish FIP delegate. Then I did not know, but now I know you were one of the drivers for this change. Congratulations because this change simplifies the way of collecting USA postmarks and eliminates the doubt about if this or that post office was closer or farther from the actual launch pad, and not only launch area or launch site.

Exactly, everyone can find this new word in Astro Guidelines, section USA Space Programmes:

3.3.10 Postmarks for launches should be shown only from the post office nearby to the site of the launch.
However, now you offer a new interpretation or an extension of this new word by applying it to post-launch events and using different postmarks just only seen in launch activities.

If as you quote MILA (Merritt Island, FL) got relevant information from Apollo capsules, and this can be collected with KSC postmarks as they are "nearby" of Merritt, theoretically would be correct showing in exhibits covers with KSC not referred exclusively to launch activities.

I wonder if other cS members can comment it as I would like to know their opinions. As long I know, the change of "nearest" to "nearby" was made only because there was a mess when judges evaluated Astro exhibits and some of them preferred KSC to Cape Canaveral or vice versa.

I am not telling that your opinion is wrong, or incorrect. Just would like to know other opinions about it. In any case, thanks Ray to impulse to my mind to ask me new Astro questions.

NAAmodel#240
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Posts: 312
From: Boston, Mass.
Registered: Jun 2005

posted 12-07-2016 11:02 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for NAAmodel#240   Click Here to Email NAAmodel#240     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
While I agree with Ray that the change to "nearby" is an improvement let me share some thoughts.

Nearby permits several situations. Where the absolute nearest might not be as significant as another nearby post office. You could make a case that PAFB is a better choice for early launches than Port Canaveral. It uncomplicates the Gemini CC vs KSC issue. It provides latitude (think Apollo 1 fire) to tell a story where actual cancels from the nearest facility might not be available.

That being said, I am of the opinion that postmarks should be preferred, acceptable or inappropriate. To me this means an AM cancel for a Mercury launch beats a PM for the same date. I would give more credit to an exhibitor who shows a CC cancel for the Apollo 7 launch over a KSC postmark.

Ken Havekotte
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Posts: 2913
From: Merritt Island, Florida, Brevard
Registered: Mar 2001

posted 12-08-2016 03:32 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Ken Havekotte   Click Here to Email Ken Havekotte     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
While I do agree with most of the comments referred to here by Ray, Dave, and some remarks by Antoni, if I may, let me make a few remarks on the topic.
quote:
Originally posted by NAAmodel#240:
You could make a case that PAFB is a better choice for early launches than Port Canaveral...
I would have to disagree with that.

Remember, all except for one missile launch (a winged Matador in 1956), actually occurred from either the Cape/Port Canaveral and/or Kennedy Space Center/MILA launch sites that were miles away from Patrick Air Force Base.

The Patrick air base, located about 15 miles south of the Cape firing range, was never a launch complex facility, but instead, was and still is in many cases today, the military administrative and logistics support center for most all missile and rocket firings from the Cape/KSC-pad area installations. But rockets were not--in most all cases-- prepared, tested, and actually fired or launched from Patrick.

Regarding a better or more appropriate postmark cancel for Apollo 7, my choice would be either CC or KSC, however, from a geographic standpoint, perhaps the Cape (CC) would be a slightly wiser choice.

Launch Complex 34, which was the pad used for Apollo 7's Earth-orbital mission, was located on the grounds of Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, or better known as the "Cape side."

But just about all of the Apollo 7 spacecraft pre-mate/launch checkouts and testing were conducted on the grounds of NASA's Kennedy Space Center, located across the Banana River from the "Cape side" on Merritt Island. Also, most of the astronaut crew training for Apollo 7 took place at KSC and not CCAFS. Their crew quarters, while in Florida, was on the space center at Kennedy as well.

In addition, the Tel-IV control center is another vital link of the KSC/Merritt Island telemetry connection to most all rocket and space firings from the eastern test range. The support includes not only launch ascent telemetry, but also pre-launch test activities and post-mission assignments.

Ken Havekotte
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Posts: 2913
From: Merritt Island, Florida, Brevard
Registered: Mar 2001

posted 12-17-2016 10:49 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for Ken Havekotte   Click Here to Email Ken Havekotte     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Here is a single cover with KSC-cancels on both sides of the cover surfaces.

It was the 25th anniversary of man's first lunar landing when USPS issued two different moon landing anniversary stamps; a 29-cent issue and a $9.95 Express Mail stamp, both created by veteran space stamp designers Paul and Chris Calle in 1994. Both Apollo 11 related postage stamps had been available at all ten NASA field centers on July 20, 1994 with the official first day of issue at the National Air & Space Museum in Washington, D.C.

On the numbered cachet covers, which were available on KSC-NASA grounds all throughout the 25th anniversary month, there are three (3) different KSC postal strikes; machine cancel, killer bar hand cancel, and a red-certified hand strike — all three of which came from the KSC HQS. Bldg. post office on the center itself.

On the back surface of the same cover are an additional four postal cancels, but with no postage stamps added since there was more than $10 of stamp purchases from the postage issues used on the front surface. They are; two different KSC bullseye cancels from KSC/T-ville, and two different same-day KSC pictorial cancel strikes all on July 20, 1994.

That's seven different KSC-postmarks all on the same day for a space event!

Ken Havekotte
Member

Posts: 2913
From: Merritt Island, Florida, Brevard
Registered: Mar 2001

posted 12-17-2016 10:49 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for Ken Havekotte   Click Here to Email Ken Havekotte     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Here is another multi-cancelled KSC cover with seven different postmark devices used. The cancels were applied to a single 29-cent Space Station hologram printed envelope from 1992. Can anyone determine each of the cancel origins? The postage stamp used, depicting a futuristic spaceship in planetary flight, was a $2.90 Space/Priority Mail first day of issue at KSC on June 3, 1993.

Joel Katzowitz
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Posts: 808
From: Marietta GA USA
Registered: Dec 1999

posted 12-17-2016 03:59 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Joel Katzowitz   Click Here to Email Joel Katzowitz     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Wow Ken, that 25th anniversary "boot print" cancel sure looks familiar. It's hard to believe that was 22 years ago!

Ken Havekotte
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Posts: 2913
From: Merritt Island, Florida, Brevard
Registered: Mar 2001

posted 12-18-2016 04:11 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Ken Havekotte   Click Here to Email Ken Havekotte     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Can't believe it, Joel, but you're right! It was 22 years ago that you had designed the Apollo 11 anniversary "boot print" pictorial cancel for us. It's one of my favorites along with your Apollo/Saturn V Center postmark, the Gemini and Apollo induction cancels, and John Glenn's return to orbit.

alec
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Posts: 37
From: Romania
Registered: Apr 2008

posted 03-19-2017 06:40 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for alec   Click Here to Email alec     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Any idea where this postmark was applied? Is it from Kennedy Space Center's headquarters building postal unit? Thanks!

Ken Havekotte
Member

Posts: 2913
From: Merritt Island, Florida, Brevard
Registered: Mar 2001

posted 03-19-2017 07:48 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Ken Havekotte   Click Here to Email Ken Havekotte     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Yes, Alec, it came from the on-base KSC HQS Bldg. postal unit. The date of the cancel, Feb. 19, 2017, is most likely for the SpaceX/CRS-10 launch of a Falcon 9 rocket with the 12th Dragon cargo-supply ship from Kennedy's Launch Complex 39A to the ISS.

alec
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Posts: 37
From: Romania
Registered: Apr 2008

posted 03-21-2017 05:39 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for alec   Click Here to Email alec     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Thank you Ken!

Cozmosis22
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Posts: 968
From: Texas * Earth
Registered: Apr 2011

posted 05-13-2017 08:47 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Cozmosis22     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Any other examples of KSC special events machine cancels? This metered mail strike is from the first anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing.

Ken Havekotte
Member

Posts: 2913
From: Merritt Island, Florida, Brevard
Registered: Mar 2001

posted 05-13-2017 09:21 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Ken Havekotte   Click Here to Email Ken Havekotte     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Yes there are other examples of special KSC-related machine cancellations. The meter cancel above had not been used for philatelic purposes, but rather, on official TWA outgoing business mail at KSC's Spaceport USA. If interested, I'll try to show a few more different meter uses from the same complex.

There were others throughout the 1970's, including a special machine die hub used for America's first manned space station, Skylab, from 1973-74.

Another KSC-machine cancel application took place at the space center's 3rd Century America from May 30 thru Sept. 6, 1976. It was the nation's primary Bicentennial Exposition on Science and Technology.

Keep in mind, though, that regular KSC meter cancels for direct application and in using gummed labels were usually available on a daily basis if requested on base at the KSC Headquarters Building's postal unit.

Cozmosis22
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Posts: 968
From: Texas * Earth
Registered: Apr 2011

posted 05-14-2017 01:04 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Cozmosis22     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
I am sure that this KSC metered mail was "For Official Use Only," but apparently some philatelic applications did slip through.

This one, previously pictured up close, became a double cancellation commemorative with the 25th Anniversary of Apollo 11 back in 1994.

All times are CT (US)

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