Author
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Topic: Space exploration theme license plates
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Robert Pearlman Editor Posts: 54392 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
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posted 12-03-2003 06:53 AM
A new license plate from the Texas Department of Transportation: The Texas Department of Transportation shall deposit $22 of the $30 application fee to the credit of the general revenue fund and may be used only by the Texas Aerospace Commission or its successor agency in making grants to benefit the Aviation and Space Foundation of Texas for the purposes of furthering aviation and space activities in Texas and providing Columbia Crew memorial scholarships to students. |
Robert Pearlman Editor Posts: 54392 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
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posted 12-16-2004 04:33 PM
According to The Huntsville Times: Officials at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center trying to save the Saturn V rocket are on a mission: They need about 700 people to put down $50 each and sign up for the special Saturn V license plate before Jan. 31.The state requires that 1,000 people preorder the special tags before it will begin production. If 1,000 aren't ordered by the deadline, then... "It's just not an option for us," Space Center spokesman Al Whitaker said. "I mean, Huntsville and Madison County put men on the moon. How embarrassing if we can't put a tag on a car."  |
DavidH Member Posts: 1285 From: Huntsville, AL, USA Registered: Jun 2003
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posted 01-13-2005 11:43 AM
As of Monday, 280 more commitments to purchase were needed for the "Save The Saturn" license plate to become a reality.For each tag, $41.25 will go to the Space Center Foundation's Save the Saturn campaign to help pay the $5 million initial cost of restoring and showcasing one of the world's only remaining, complete Saturn V rockets. I just want to go on the record as having filed my commitment to purchase the tag, and strongly encourage any other cS readers in Alabama to do the same! |
Robert Pearlman Editor Posts: 54392 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
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posted 02-01-2005 12:15 PM
The Huntsville Times: Alabama soon will launch a new license plate.As of Monday afternoon, more than 1,450 applications for the Saturn V "First to the Moon" tag had been turned in, said Ralph Petroff, head of the tag effort for the U.S. Space & Rocket Center Foundation's Saturn V Restoration executive committee. That's at least 450 more than needed by Monday's deadline to get the state to begin producing the fund-raising license plate honoring the Saturn V - the rocket designed and developed in Huntsville that carried the astronauts on every moon mission. |
Robert Pearlman Editor Posts: 54392 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
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posted 08-19-2005 10:54 AM
The Huntsville Times: There's one thing you can say today about those much-discussed, much-delayed, colorful, fundraising Saturn V license plates that you could never say before:They're here. Whether you've already ordered one or not, you can go to any county license office and get a rocket plate on your car today. You'll be helping efforts to refurbish and display the historic Saturn V rocket that's been weathering away for decades at the back of the U.S. Space & Rocket Center, and Ralph Petroff believes you'll be helping refurbish Alabama's image, too. |
Carrie Member Posts: 225 From: Syracuse, New York, USA Registered: May 2003
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posted 10-16-2005 08:05 PM
My aunt and uncle (who live in Florida most of the year) were kind enough to give me their Florida plate with the shuttle orbiter on it and "Challenger" at the bottom when they changed it, so it sits proudly on a bookshelf. I'm not sure whether they had to get new plates, or chose to (I think the former), but at any rate, it has a good home! |
lunarrv15 Member Posts: 1363 From: Cincinnati, Ohio, Hamilton Registered: Mar 2001
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posted 10-17-2005 11:41 AM
There is a new Florida plate with the space shuttle and the names of "Columbia" and "Challenger" on the bottom. Sales benefit the Astronauts Memorial Foundation. Your purchase not only honors the numerous brave men and women who risked everything in their quest for knowledge, it also helps keep their mission alive. Your investment in the space plate generates valuable resources for space and technology-based education programs that help inspire the explorers of tomorrow. Purchase the space plate and help shape the future of Florida.  |
rocketJoe Member Posts: 103 From: Huntsville, AL USA Registered: Jul 2001
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posted 10-17-2005 07:28 PM
Here is my new Saturn plate: |
DavidH Member Posts: 1285 From: Huntsville, AL, USA Registered: Jun 2003
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posted 10-18-2005 09:17 AM
Ah, very nice. One of my coworkers has a similar one -- GO4LCH (which I assume is launch, and not lunch), but I like the more ambitious tone of yours. |
Robert Pearlman Editor Posts: 54392 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
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posted 02-06-2008 06:59 AM
Texas License Plate e-VoteIn January of 2009, production of the next Texas license plate will begin. The public currently has the opportunity to vote for one of four new designs or to keep the current plate. The current standard design, introduced in 2000, includes the space shuttle in the upper left corner. In 2005, the design was amended to include a tribute to the loss of STS-107/Columbia by the addition of seven stars above the shuttle (similar to the custom Columbia plate pictured earlier in this thread).  Out of the five designs, only the current plate, titled "My Texas", includes reference to the space program. It is the only such plate in U.S. history to include a spacecraft or reference to NASA as part of the state's standard design. Voting began at noon on Monday, Feb. 4 and ends at noon on Monday, Feb. 11. There is a limit of two votes per household. |
Robert Pearlman Editor Posts: 54392 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
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posted 02-11-2008 10:13 PM
quote: Originally posted by Robert Pearlman: Voting began at noon on Monday, Feb. 4 and ends at noon on Monday, Feb. 11.
With only 114,662 votes, the current design of the Texas license plate -- the only standard license plate to include a reference to the U.S space program -- will be replaced in 2009 with a design titled, "Lone Star Texas (that received 456,685 votes). |
jutrased Member Posts: 66 From: North Smithfield, RI USA Registered: Aug 2003
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posted 02-16-2008 01:56 PM
The National Air and Space Museum has a Virginia plate available as a fundraiser for the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center, their extension located at Dulles International Airport.  It is available as a real registration plate for Virginians, or as a souvenir plate for anyone else. The cost for a single souvenir plate is $10, and it can be personalized for an additional $10. I've had "APOLLO" since 1999. I see that Virginia DMV also offers a plate for NASA Langley Research Center.  |
kr4mula Member Posts: 642 From: Cinci, OH Registered: Mar 2006
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posted 02-21-2008 11:05 AM
Ohio has a special plate for aviation that you can get for an extra $25 a year. We had cool ones for the 100th anniversary of flight, but the plates deleted any aviation themes in more recent years.  The special "Leader in Flight" plate supports a Dayton group that builds and maintains a Wright Flyer. The plate has a small image of a Wright Flyer and the shuttle. I just got one the other day, but with just the random number. |
mikej Member Posts: 483 From: Germantown, WI USA Registered: Jan 2004
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posted 07-29-2012 07:00 PM
In 1994, New York issued a 25th anniversary plate featuring the Lunar Module: I bought this off of eBay, so I don't know whether the "GRU" has anything to do with Grumman. |
ilbasso Member Posts: 1527 From: Greensboro, NC USA Registered: Feb 2006
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posted 08-02-2012 01:13 PM
My current plate. I thought it was funny to put a powerhouse license plate onto a Prius. |
garymilgrom Member Posts: 2145 From: Atlanta, GA Registered: Feb 2007
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posted 08-03-2012 06:42 AM
I really like the Saturn V plate on a Prius. My plate is a tribute to the orbiter Discovery. |
Robert Pearlman Editor Posts: 54392 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
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posted 01-26-2016 01:21 PM
The popularity of Florida's Challenger/Columbia specialty license plate continues to wane, as memories of both shuttle disasters fade — and more competing plates appear on the scene, reports Florida Today. The Challenger plate debuted on Jan. 1, 1987 — less than year after the Jan. 28, 1986 disaster — as the nation's first specialty tag. Tallahassee lawmakers added shuttle Columbia shortly after the 2003 disaster, and the plate was bolted to 50,688 Sunshine State vehicles that year.But now, that number of sales and renewals has dipped to 19,811 plates, Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles records show — a 61 percent plunge. Competition is a key factor: Florida now offers a cornucopia of 137 specialty license plates featuring colleges and universities, political causes, recreational activities, pro sports teams, wildlife and more. The Challenger/Columbia plate's $25 annual fees benefit the Astronaut Memorial Foundation at the Kennedy Space Center Visitors Complex.  |
Skytrotter Member Posts: 31 From: Indianapolis, IN USA Registered: Sep 2013
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posted 03-03-2016 01:11 PM
Here is my license plate and my "Rocket Family" stickers. Just my version of the stick figure families found on many minivans in the USA. |
Robert Pearlman Editor Posts: 54392 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
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posted 07-11-2020 06:15 PM
collectSPACE Historic Saturn V swapped for SLS rocket on new Alabama license plateAlabama has traded the glory of a past moon rocket for the promise of a new launch vehicle on the latest version of its space exploration-themed, specialty license plate. The redesigned "Alabama Space Tag" replaces the depiction of the historic Saturn V booster— which 50 years ago launched the first astronauts to the moon — with NASA's new Space Launch System (SLS) heavy-lift rocket. The new plate marks the first time that the Saturn V has not appeared on an Alabama plate in 15 years.  |
Robert Pearlman Editor Posts: 54392 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
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posted 04-07-2025 09:00 AM
collectSPACE Ohio set to launch license plate for NASA Glenn Research Center"The Birthplace of Aviation" now has a license to promote its hub for aeronautics and space advancements. Ohio, home to NASA's Glenn Research Center in Cleveland, will begin offering a license plate featuring the facility's name and the federal agency's insignia.  |
lunarrv15 Member Posts: 1363 From: Cincinnati, Ohio, Hamilton Registered: Mar 2001
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posted 04-08-2025 10:33 AM
As a non-resident from Alabama, anyone living here know how to purchase them as a non-resident or locate used Saturn plate? I have written to Alabama Department of Motor Vehicle where I never was given a courtesy reply of yes or no. |
Robert Pearlman Editor Posts: 54392 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
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posted 04-08-2025 12:09 PM
According to the U.S. Space & Rocket Center, to be eligible to order a plate you must be both an Alabama resident and have "a vehicle that is eligible for registration within the state." Then, you have to pay the registration fee, plus $5 for this being a metal plate and $50 annually.There are replicas of different sizes and some used plates listed on eBay, which may be more economical options. |
thisismills Member Posts: 590 From: Michigan Registered: Mar 2012
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posted 04-08-2025 01:08 PM
quote: Originally posted by lunarrv15: ...how to purchase them as a non-resident or locate used Saturn plate?
Certain states allow purchase of sample plates for souvenir purposes for out-of-state residents but I don't believe Alabama is one of those states. It is up to the department of motor vehicles (or other similar department) in any given state to offer this as a service. Just for example, both Michigan and Virginia have dedicated pages for ordering souvenir specialty plates for collectors. For the Virginia plates they even allow you to personalize the numbers/letters on the plate. They will arrive to you with "sample" stickers instead of actual "month" and "year" registration stickers since these are souvenirs only and not for actual road use. Other than the stickers, they are manufactured identical to the standard issued plates. I would guess that some other states probably offer this service but do not have a comprehensive list of those that do. If you are looking for a plate that was actually used on a vehicle, there are a few options. Generally the plate should be more than three years expired for it to be considered a souvenir and okay to sell. I believe this is to discourage people from selling and/or fraudulently using recently issued or recently expired license plates to those wanting to avoid paying registration fees. - eBay has a large amount of used license plates for sale and I suggest searching regularly as they even have a dedicated category for these items to narrow down your search: Collectibles/Transportation/Automobilia/License-Plates
- The Automobile License Plate Collectors Association (ALPCA) is a US based organization for collectors that holds in person sales throughout the year. Dealers bring their large stocks of vintage and recent license plates for sale and setup tables for attendees to search through. I have had success this way finding space related plates in person. Also, once a dealer knows what you are looking for they can find it for you through their contacts especially if they know another dealer from the specific state.
There are quite a few ALPCA meets in 2025, which anyone can attend without being a member of the organization, especially if it is your first time going to a collector show.A few other notes and things to be aware of: - Certain states "require" when you move out of state or have an expired plate that is not renewed that they be sent back to the DMV to be destroyed. This makes certain issues harder to find than others depending on how many people actually sent them back instead of keeping them.
- Specifically for the Alabama space plates (yellow "First to the Moon" and red "Dare to Explore"), there tend to not be very many for sale. As Robert stated, there are replicas on the market to fill that void of scarcity.
I would suggest doing your research and becoming familiar with what the plates look like, including the registration stickers if your intent is to purchase an authentic example. Membership in ALPCA provide resources to help collectors spot the differences between replicas and issued plates. |