Space Cover 825: Apollo 16: Pre- and Post-flightThis Space Cover of the Week is a follow-up to Eddie's on Apollo 16 flown helicopter covers and Jeff's Apollo 16's "Live from Recovery" entries.
The first two covers mark Apollo 16 pre-launch activities at Kennedy Space Center, while the second two mark the Prime Recovery Ship USS Ticonderoga's movements prior to its recovery of the Apollo 16 crew and capsule. The final two covers mark the Tico's return to Pearl Harbor and the crew's arrival at Hickam AFB post flight.
As a bonus, included is an Apollo 16 autopenned crew litho, with an unusual extra, and an Apollo 16 crew signed launch cover.
At the top is a NASA/KSC official cacheted cover that marks the rollback to the VAB of Apollo 16 as a result of damage to the CM's fuel tank (note the rollback took place on January 27, 1972, the 5th anniversary of Apollo 1) and the bottom cover marks the second rollout to the pad.
These covers mark the arrival of PRS Ticonderoga to Pearl Harbor prior to its departure to the Apollo 16 recovery area, and the 2nd cover marks its departure. Both covers have Apollo 16 Pacific Recovery Force rubber stamp cachets.
On April 29, 1972, the PRS Tico returned to Pearl Harbor with the Apollo 16 capsule and crew. The bottom cover is canceled at Honolulu/Hickam AFB, Hawaii, on the crew's arrival there for post-flight medical exams.
This is an unusual Apollo 16 crew litho with autopens by Mattingly and Duke in black and Young's autopen in blue, but what is unusual is that the inscription is also an autopen, which may be the only known autopen inscription.
This is an Apollo 16 official NASA/KSC cacheted launch cover and is autographed by the crew.
posted 09-28-2025 09:41 AM
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