posted 12-26-2020 04:09 AM               

Space Cover 591: NASA-INTA Las Palmas red meter

Above pictured cover is one of scarcest and rarest Spanish astrophilatelic items. It commemorates the launch of Apollo 13 mission and is canceled in Las Palmas Apr 11, 1970. It bears the black round Apollo NASA cancel (common to all space tracking stations involved in Apollo program) and it is signed by station director Mr. C.A. Rouiller, Jr.

NASA-INTA Las Palmas red meter shows a face value of 00600 which is 600 cents or 6 pesetas, correct postage rate in Spain for international letters at this time.

This cover was not produced by any collector as seen by covers with INTA-NASA Madrid red meter and 0000 postage. Philatelic full details for this red meter are as follows:

Las Palmas red meter was a Francotyp machine with number 5042 (not readable in the image) was inscribed in Sep 21, 1967 with the name of NASA-INTA ESTACION ESPACIAL DE GRAN CANARIA and address in Pío XII de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria (not yet seen this meter with this address) which changed in Jan 23, 1968 as NASA-INTA SPACE FLIGHT TRACKING STATION Gran Canaria P.O. Box 48 Las Palmas and was retired in Oct 30, 1975.

And why this Spanish space cover is so scarce and rare?

Over more than 25 years collecting Spanish space covers, I have just seen three covers with this NASA-INTA Las Palmas red meter. Two are in my hands (one pictured in this post) and another one is this same NASA-INTA Las Palmas red meter applied on an official NASA cover but with date not linked with any space event.

If anyone has this NASA-INTA Las Palmas red meter cover in your albums, please I will be delighted to see it. Thanks.