posted 07-20-2025 11:06 AM               

Space Cover 815: ASTP 50th Anniversary Large Covers

The space cover this week celebrates the 50th anniversary of the Apollo Soyuz Test Project (ASTP) mission, which flew from July 15th to July 24th, 1975. The cover is hand-cancelled at Kennedy Space Center, FL (KSC) and features both the US (#1569-70) and Russian (#4339-4340) joint issue stamps commemorating the historic co-operation between the nations. The cachet depicts the artwork created by Robert McCall which shows the Apollo Command Module complete with docking module and Soviet Soyuz spacecraft in the final stage prior to docking. This artwork represents what was used for the joint issue stamps.

Much has been previously written and shared about ASTP, so I thought I would take the opportunity to share some of my favorite oversized covers from the mission. These #10 envelopes hold a special place in my collection.

This cover was machine cancelled on launch day, July 15th, at KSC and has a NASA blue cachet, it is somewhat uncommon in that it does not have either of the US ASTP stamps.

This cover was machine cancelled on launch day, July 15th, at KSC, and has plate block 36307/36308 of the US ASTP stamps with no cachet.

This cover was cancelled on launch day, July 15th, at Baikonur Cosmodrome, and has Russian mini-sheet (#4342) with the Soviet Flight Control Center and combined US-Russian crew. I especially enjoy the design surrounding the stamp, which artistically depicts each milestone of the mission: launch, rendezvous, docking, separation, re-entry, and splashdown. The entire sheet is affixed to a #10 cover with a pre-printed Fleetwood cachet.

This cover was hand-cancelled on recovery day, July 24th, at Houston, Texas and has a typed cachet describing the recovery of the Apollo Command Module. The crew splashed down at 5:18 p.m. and were hoisted aboard the USS New Orleans about 6 p.m., after which they participated in ceremonies on the ship's deck.

In closing, I'll add that I recently visited the Stafford Air and Space Museum in Weatherford, Oklahoma This Smithsonian affiliated museum not only houses the collection of astronaut Thomas Stafford, Commander of ASTP his fourth and final flight in space, but has on display his Gemini 6A capsule, a Titan II launch vehicle, F1 engine, the Skylab 4 Command Module, just to name a few. This museum is a must for anyone interested in space artifacts. While in the ASTP section, I noticed the following ArtCraft cover on display having been certified by Stafford as flown on the mission.

Hopefully you've enjoyed some of my personal favorite oversized ASTP covers.

What are some of your favorite ASTP covers in your collection?