The United States Postal Service (USPS) dropped news of a surprise space stamp on Tuesday (March 14), revealing it plans to mark the upcoming plunge of a capsule carrying the largest sample ever collected from an asteroid.
The "OSIRIS-REx Return To Earth" postage stamp, to be issued later this year on a date still to be announced, honors NASA's first mission to bring back asteroid samples for study. The stamp depicts the robotic probe's sample return capsule descending under a parachute over the Utah desert, where the rock and dust-filled container is scheduled to land on Sept. 24, 2023.
Robert Pearlman Editor
Posts: 51095 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
posted 06-01-2023 09:04 AM
The U.S. Postal Service has announced that the OSIRIS-REx postage stamp will be released on Sept. 22, 2023 — two days before the probe is expected to return to Earth — with a first day of issue ceremony in Salt Lake City, Utah.
ejectr Member
Posts: 1974 From: Killingly, CT Registered: Mar 2002
posted 06-01-2023 10:30 AM
Doesn't seem possible all that time since I saw the launch of OSIRIS-REx from Playalinda Beach has passed. Will be waiting for this stamp issue.
Robert Pearlman Editor
Posts: 51095 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
posted 08-11-2023 01:09 PM
Here are the First Day of Issue color and black and white cancellation devices for the OSIRIS-REx Return to Earth stamp being released on Sept. 22, 2023.
Also pictured is the special event cancellation for sites other than the official First Day of Issue station.
More details will be released closer to the issue of the stamp, but requests for First Day of Issue cancellations will be honored through Jan. 22, 2024 if mailed to:
FDOI – OSIRIS-REx Stamp USPS Stamp Fulfillment Services 8300 NE Underground Drive, Suite 300 Kansas City, MO 64144-9900
Robert Pearlman Editor
Posts: 51095 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
NASA's first asteroid sample mission has landed at post offices across the United States two days before the spacecraft's return capsule is set to land back on Earth.
The U.S. Postal Service on Friday (Sept. 22) released a new stamp celebrating NASA's OSIRIS-REx spacecraft and the samples of the asteroid Bennu that it is set to deliver to the Utah desert on Sunday. The Clark Planetarium in Salt Lake City is set to host a first-day-of-issue ceremony for the Forever stamp on Friday.
Robert Pearlman Editor
Posts: 51095 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
posted 09-22-2023 06:18 PM
U.S. Postal Service video
This new 20-stamp pane from the U.S. Postal Service celebrates NASA’s seven-year OSIRIS-REx mission to study and map the asteroid Bennu and return a sample of the surface to Earth in September 2023. This is the first pristine sample of an asteroid collected by the United States, and it will help scientists learn how our solar system formed.
OSIRIS-REx is issued as a pane of 20 Forever stamps, which will always be equal in value to the current First-Class Mail 1‑ounce price.
Axman Member
Posts: 175 From: Derbyshire UK Registered: Mar 2023
posted 09-23-2023 06:50 AM
I must admit, not being American, that I've often wondered what a Forever USA stamp was precisely. (Yes, I know, I could have googled it, but I never did). Thank you for the information.
posted 03-14-2023 02:15 PM
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