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ASTP Anniversaries and events

This section will be dedicated to ASTP commemoration. Besides numerous covers celebrating project anniversaries there are general commemorative stuff inspired by joint space mission theme like 1992 US-Russian joint “Space cooperation” stamps issue. I also include covers with ASTP related cachets from various astrophilately exhibitions like COSMOS in France and LILIENTHAL in Germany. Many special postmarks have been issued and officially used in USA and several in Russia. This issue still needs to be researched.

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Well, not all the covers are from the direct participants of the project but taking into account international essence of astrophilately events I assume they are in the right place like a couple of Romanian club coves that I just liked. Besides Russia and USA there is Kazakhstan that hosts Baikonur Cosmodrome and with all related considerations has its right to be present. As simple as that!

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In the head of the section I show Russian Federation ASTP 25th anniversary small sheet of 6 stamps issued in 60,000 pieces in 2000 as part of “International Cooperation in Space” set.

40th anniversary of ASTP was marked in Russia by issuing special postmark for Moscow and ISS as well as official ITC Marka postcard and Roscosmos covers for space ISS onboard cancellations. Of course several independent designers implemented the idea on cards and covers and added their own stamped cachets like Moscow Philatelic society and BaikonurSvyazInform. Roscosmos prepared and sent 50 commemorative covers that received only ASTP special onboard cancellation and blue octagon seal but not ISS calendar postmarks – that is quite uncommon practice. Several privately designed covers were sent to ISS as well probably as much as a couple of dozens. As usual Roscosmos covers were used as souvenirs for senior stuff and NASA officials.  After being applied in space the “corrected” device travelled back to Earth and was used to postmark like a 100 official and private cards and covers to be sold to collectors. Strangely enough this anniversary has not received any attention in USA ...

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