Postmarks 2002
Polish CancelsIn June, Poland was celebrating the 25th Anniversary of the first spaceflight of a Polish citizen, Miroslaw Hermaszewski. The Air Force General visited space station Salyut 6 for an eight day trip on Soyuz 30 back in 1978.
On the occasion of the anniversary, Polish Post issued an illustrated stationery postcard at a face value of 1,20 PLN.
Further, two illustrated temporary postmarkers were used in the cities of Warsaw and Poznan:
27.6.03: Warszawa 1;
Text: "Pierwszy Polak w Kosmosie - 25-lecie lotu" (First Pole in Space - 25th Anniversary of the flight).
Send your stamped covers to Urzad Pocztowy Warszawa 1, Philatelic Service, 00-001 Warszawa 1, Poland.
5.7.03: Poznan 1;
Text: "25-lece lotu w Kosmos Miroslawa Hermaszewskiego Piknik Wojskowo" (25th Anniversary of Miroslaw Hermaszewski‘s flight to space)
Send your stamped covers to: Urzad Pocztowy Poznan 1, Philatelic Services, Poznan 1, Polen.
Postage for letters up to 20 grams abroad is 2,10 PLN for surface mail, 2,60 PLN for priority mail.
German CancelsGermany is celebrating the 25th Anniversary of the first spaceflight of a German cosmonaut in 1978. For the then-German Democratic Republic of Germany, Sigmund Jähn and Soyuz 31 commander Valeri Bykovsky spent eight days on space station Salyut 6. On 30 August 2003, an official event by the Federal President Johannes Rau and possibly Chancellor Gerhard Schröder
and some 20 spacefarers will be held at Markneukirchen, near Jähn‘s birthplace in the Vogtland area of Southeastern Germany. Soyuz 31 was launched on August 26, 1978, and returned to Earth on 3 September of the same year.
Until now, three different special pictorial postmarkers have been announced or used to commemorate the event:
10.5.03: 15344 Strausberg.
Text: "25. Jahrestag 'Deutsche im All' 1978 2003 13. Landesverbandstag und JHV der Philatelisten Brandenburgs" (25th Anniversary Germans in Space; 13th Annual Meeting of the Federation of Philatelists of the Land of Brandenburg);
Ill.: A Soyuz rocket on the launch pad. Jähn lives in this town near Berlin.
A cacheted stationery envelope was issued and is available for 2 from: Thomas Pescht, Christinenstr. 2, 14772 Brandenburg an der Havel, Germany. e-mail: T.Pescht@Phila-Brandenburg.de
26.8.03: 14467 Potsdam, Text: "Jubiläumsveranstaltung 25. Jahrestag Erster deutscher bemannter Raumflug Weltraumpost Deutschland-Weltraum-Erde" (Anniversary Event 25th Anniversary First German Manned Spaceflight Cosmic Mail Germany-Space-Earth)
ill: Cosmic Mail cover
Send your covers (arriving no later than 26 September 2003) to: Deutsche Post AG, NL Produktion BRIEF, Sonderstempelstelle, 10770 Berlin, Germany.
30.8.03: 02977 Hoyerswerda Wojerecy; Text: "25 Jahre deutsche Raumfahrer im All, Ausstellung im Lausitz-Center" (25 Years German spacefarers in space/Exhibition in the Lausitz Centre);
Ill.: Soyuz rocket, a cosmonaut, space station Salyut 6.
Send your stamped covers (arriving no later than 30 Septmber 2003) to: Deutsche Post AG, VD Fil. Erfurt, Philatelie-Stempelstelle, Postfach 16 01 00, 01287 Dresden, Germany.
Cacheted covers and a set of 12 stationery postcards featuring all flown German astronauts to date from: Ralf Schulz, Postfach 1219, 02962 Hoyerswerda, Germany.
Postage for a letter up to 20 grams:
within Europe: 55c
overseas destinations: 1.50€
US Cancels14.-17.2.03: Denver, CO 80202-9998;
"AAAS Annual Meeting Station"; (AAAS = American Association for the Advancement of Science)
Ill.: Planet Saturn, stars.
USPS Postmaster,
AAAS Station,
Philatelic Office, Downtown Station,
951 20th Street,
Denver, CO 80202-9998,
19.-20.2.03: Oklahoma City, OK 73102;
"5th Annual Black Heritage Celebration Station Moments in Black History"
Ill.: Sphinx, spacecraft, Mrs. CJ Walker, Malcolm X, Martin Luther
King, Loraine Hansberry, black astronaut, black olympic,
USPS Postmaster,
Black Heritage Celebration Station,
320 SW Fifth St.,
Oklahoma City, OK 73125-9998,