posted 04-13-2025 08:18 AM               

Space Cover #801: A Tribute — Jim Lovell and Buzz Aldrin

Jim Lovell and Buzz Aldrin flew together on Gemini-Titan 12 in 1966 and, coincidentally, are also the two oldest living NASA astronauts. On March 25, 2025, Lovell celebrated his 97th birthday and in January 2025, Aldrin reached 95.

So to pay tribute to these two legendary astronauts, who flew on three of the most historic manned flights in space exploration history (Lovell on Apollo 8 and Apollo 13 and Aldrin on Apollo 11), this Space Cover of the Week is about both, which highlights both their autographs and, especially, the many varied and special covers they signed for their spaceflights: four spaceflights for Lovell and two spaceflights for Aldrin.

Found here, in addition to many of their autographs, are an assortment of special covers that they signed relating to their spaceflights: Gemini-Titan 7, Gemini-Titan 12, Apollo 8, Apollo 11 and Apollo 13. I was fortunate to have the opportunity to acquire their autographs on so many excellent covers.

The 14 covers include: Beck printed and rubber stamp prime and secondary recovery ship covers; official NASA/KSC rubber stamp cacheted covers; KSC VIP card; Apollo emblem/crew patch cacheted covers; anniversary covers, including a Smithsonian Milestone of Flight anniversary cover; a "Dow" Apollo 11 insurance cover, along with an insurance-type cover; a Houston "Space City Cover Society" cover; and Apollo 8 and Apollo 11 crew signed covers.

We begin with two GT-12 covers. At the top is an official NASA/KSC rubber stamp cacheted cover for the GT-12 launch, and below a USS Wasp Prime Recovery Ship cover, with both covers signed by the crew of Lovell and Aldrin.

Lovell nicely signed and inscribed this Apollo 8 USS Yorktown PRS cover and Aldrin also signed and inscribed this Apollo 11 USS Ozark secondary recovery ship cover

Lovell signed and added "Apollo 13" to this impressive NASA/KSC VIP card, while Aldrin signed this Smithsonian Milestones of Flight anniversary cover for Apollo 11's 5th anniversary

This handsome Apollo 13 emblem cover was signed and inscribed by Lovell, while this Apollo 11 first anniversary NASA/KSC rubber stamp cacheted cover was signed by Aldrin.

This GT-7 "Orbit" cacheted launch cover marks Lovell's first spaceflight and is also signed by GT-7 Cdr. Frank Borman, while this Apollo 11 Beck printed PRS cacheted cover was signed by Aldrin.

This "Space City Cover Society" cover is canceled in Houston for the Apollo 8 launch and is signed by the crew. The Apollo 11 crew signed this Apollo 11 "Dow" type 3 insurance cover.

While appearing as an official Apollo 13 insurance cover in every way, this cover fails in that regard, as it was signed by the crew for a KSC official while at KSC for pre-flight training and has no connection to a family of a crew member. This handsome Apollo 11 crew signed emblem cover was also signed at KSC for an official while there for pre-flight training.

As mentioned, I was fortunate to acquire such an impressive array of Gemini and Apollo covers, with the bonus of autographs on them by Jim Lovell and Buzz Aldrin; two of NASA's most historic and famous astronauts.

posted 04-17-2025 05:39 PM               

Of all the ones featured here, Bob, I think my favorite would be the crew signed Apollo 13 Bishop insignia cover along with the crew signed Apollo 8 NASA Local Post issue. Very few Apollo 13 launch covers had been signed by all "4" crewmen and the autographs of Apollo 8's prime crew are so very well spaced out in good locations.

posted 04-18-2025 02:36 PM               

Continuing with this theme, the next two oldest astronauts are Vance Brand (on May 9th, will be 94) and Dave Scott (93 on June 6).

The 50th anniversary of the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project (ASTP) is in July and that would be a good time to honor Brand (or on his 94th birthday in May), and also include Scott, with another presentation of the various covers pertaining to their flights and covers they signed. Autographs and covers for those two are plentiful.

posted 04-19-2025 02:48 PM               

They and many other Mercury, Gemini and Apollo astronauts, as many of us know, did sign through the mail for many years and that's how many of us, including Tim, built the bulk of our cherished collections.

Of the 14 covers shown, maybe surprisingly, one of my very favorites is the Apollo 11 first anniversary cover signed by Buzz. It's an official NASA/KSC rubber stamp cacheted cover, of which only 3,200 had the special cachet applied. In my opinion, it's a great example of a perfect cover, with a well-applied cachet, with the famous First Man on the Moon stamp, an excellent KSC red hand stamp cancel and topped off by the well-applied Aldrin autograph.

posted 04-22-2025 10:30 AM               

The Agena postcard was purchased by my dad sometime in the 1990's.

Here are two unusual Buzz Aldrin related covers. These are postmarked for Buzz's homecoming parade in Montclair, New Jersey. My parents attended the parade and my dad took the pictures that are glued on the covers. The cover was sent to Buzz shortly after the parade and he graciously signed it.