Description
About the stamp designs: One pictures a photograph of Buzz Aldrin in his spacesuit on the Moon. The photograph was taken by fellow Apollo 11 astronaut Neil Armstrong. The second stamp pictures a photograph of the Moon taken in 2010 by Gregory H. Revera. A dot has been added to indicate the landing site of the lunar module in the Sea of Tranquility.
First Day City: The First Day of Issue Ceremony was held at Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Cape Canaveral, Florida.
History the stamp represents: On May 25, 1961, President John F. Kennedy challenged American scientists to land a man on the Moon. While Kennedy did not live to see his vision realized, it was accomplished in just eight years.
Fittingly, Apollo 11 was launched from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida on July 16, 1969. Among the items astronaut Neil Armstrong carried with him was a piece of wood from the Wright brothers’ 1903 plane, to show how far aviation had advanced.
On July 20, Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin landed on the lunar surface while Michael Collins orbited the Moon. Back on Earth, a record 600 million people watched as Armstrong took the first steps on the Moon. In addition to collecting samples, setting up equipment, and conducting experiments, the astronauts left behind a plaque that read, “Here men from the planet Earth first set foot upon the Moon. July 1969 A.D. We came in peace for all mankind.” After returning to Earth, they were honored with parades, a world tour, and the Presidential Medal of Freedom. The mission has also been honored on several US stamps, including a set for the 50th anniversary in 2019.
The Moon landing was a pivotal event of the century. It was a major technological feat and ushered in a new era in space cooperation in which the US collaborated with Space Race rivals, the Soviet Union.
5 sheets of 120 First-Class Forever® USPS postage stamps. *The slash over “Forever” in the image is to protect it from being used to produce counterfeit postage. Actual stamps will not have this.
