posted 08-14-2021 03:48 AM               

Space Cover 618: Shaba launch site

In December 1975, OTRAG (Orbital Transport-und-Raketen Aktiengesellschaft, Germany) signed an agreement with currently Democratic Republic of Congo (then named Republic of Zaire 1971-1997) to develop a low-cost rocket known as OTRAG.

Shaba launch site, also Shaba North (in Katanga region), and less noted Kapani Tonneo, was a simple launch base with a pad and primitive launch support which has been an antique landing site for British transports.

Just three launches took place in Shaba; first succeeded in May 18, 1977 and last in Jun 5, 1978. Shaba was closed because other nations as USSR and France pressured the local governments to cancel the permission of launching rocket to Germany.

Cover above pictured refers to this first launch and is cancelled with a red OTRAG meter from Stuttgart over a Spacelab German stamp.

Other two Shaba launches were also commemorated by other covers as pictured below, same illustration but different red meter (Neu-Isenburg).

For years I was looking for other covers from this launch site but just theses were found.

Please, if anyone has some different covers from Shaba, it would be nice to post images and share with others. Thanks.

posted 09-10-2021 05:05 AM               

Now I certainly do not ridicule the challenge to get covers postmarked at a remote Congolese location.

posted 09-11-2021 06:06 AM               

However, I invite you to join me to make a deeper reading of the Astro Guidelines to see if these covers are, or not, appropriate to be enclosed in Astrophilately class.

Special cancellations for anniversaries of space events should be avoided except when no original event cancellation is available.

(Astro Guidelines, Article 3. Principles of Exhibit Composition, Point 3.2.3).

Furthermore, we can also read:

For different national space programmes the national mission control centres are responsible. Postmarks from tracking sites participating in the mission may be shown as a supplement.

(Astro Guidelines, Article 3. Principles of Exhibit Composition, European Space Programmes, Point 3.3.15).

Additionally, we should consider when these covers were created. In 1977-78 no Astro Regulations/Guidelines were actives. Our predecessor astrocollectors created space covers according your best criteria and common sense. Astrophilately Regulations and Guidelines were born in Rome in 1985. So, these space covers were made before this date.

For sure, if we could come-back in the time, with the current Astrophilately Regulations/Guidelines on the hands we, or those collectors, would make different covers for this space event. Maybe, we would send the covers through Germany Embassy in Kinshasa to get the postmark from nearest post office, or from some local dealer or better yet, through some German engineer/scientist moved to Shaba to assist the rocket launch.

In summary, meanwhile no better space cover exist, these covers postmarked in Stuttgart and/or Neu-Isenburg are, in my opinion, absolutely valid to be shown in Astrophilately class.

If, in the future, space covers cancelled near Shaba launch site would appear, then these space covers lose its condition and would pass to be considered as supplementary space covers. Otherwise, avoid these kind of covers just to attend current Astro Regulations/Guidelines would mean that no astrophilatelic evidence would exist to mark these launches.

Of course, I respect others and their opinions. It is mine, based on arguments above described.